VIRTUOUS   WIVES 


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Lawrenceville  Stories 
THE  PRODIGIOUS  HICKEY 
THE  VARMINT 

THE  TENNESSEE  SHAD 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  FRANCE 
THE  WOMAN  GIVES 


i 


< 


That  wild  unleashed  kiss  burned  her  lips  and  cut 

Across  her  soul  like  the  sting  of  a  lash. 

FRONTISPIECE.      See  page  296. 


VIRTUOUS  WIVES 


BY 


OWEN  JOHNSON 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS   BY 

C.  H.  TAFFS 


BOSTON 
LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 

1918 


Copyright,  1918, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved 


THE   UNIVERSITY   PRESS,  CAMBRIDGE,  U.  S.  A. 


Wig 

MAivl 


FOREWORD 

NEW  YORK  is  a  city  always  on  the  march.  It 
grows  as  no  other  city  has  grown,  devouring  its 
past.  The  great  capitals  of  the  world  —  London, 
Paris,  Rome  —  present  the  phenomenon  of  a  stone 
dropped  into  a  surface  of  water.  The  expanding 
circles  of  population,  widening  and  receding,  leave  a 
central  calm  —  the  calm  of  history,  of  traditions,  of 
cherished  memories,  the  solidifying  calm  of  monu- 
mented  generations.  But  New  York  is  like  an  up 
turned  bottle,  constantly  charged  with  champagne 
through  its  narrow  neck,  and  this  restless,  increasing 
pressure,  driving  from  the  Battery  to  Central  Park, 
has  not  only  in  one  generation  consumed  its  ancient 
residential  area  and  dispersed  its  once  conservative 
landmarks  but  created  a  new  and  feverish  society. 

As  late  as  1884,  when  Delmonico's,  on  Madison 
Square,  was  the  northern  advance  of  public  restau 
rants,  and  Wallack's  at  Thirtieth  Street,  suffered  from 
its  isolation  in  the  theatrical  district,  New  York,  from 
Washington  Square  to  the  Grand  Central  Station, 
between  the  iron  limits  of  the  elevated  railways,  was 
one  unvexed  stretch  of  brownstone  fronts  with  high 
descending  steps,  which  gave  to  the  vistas  of  its  streets 
the  aspect  of  two  brown-clad  regiments  marching  into 
each  other.  Each  brownstone  front  was  a  home.  A 
few  apartment  houses  (called  at  that  time  "flats") 
had  made  a  timid  entry,  but  were  associated  in  the 


vi  FOREWORD 

popular  mind  with  that  symbol  of  the  slums,  the  tene 
ment.  The  millionaires  could  be  counted  on  the 
fingers,  and  most  of  them  were  still  waiting  their 
entrance  into  a  rigid  society  that  quoted  Emerson, 
served  cold  suppers  for  Sunday,  packed  the  churches, 
knew  no  divorce,  and  brought  up  its  children  at 
home.  Thirty  years  ago,  a  woman  who  appeared  on 
the  streets  rouged  and  powdered  attracted  as  much 
attention  as  a  Zulu  princess  in  native  costume  would 
to-day. 

Toward  the  end  of  this  decade,  the  tide  of  emigra 
tion  surged  in.  The  first  skyscrapers  began  to  mul 
tiply.  The  front  offices  of  the  nation  were  transferred 
to  the  lower  city,  and,  from  the  Battery  upward,  three 
great  invading  columns  began  their  march.  Green 
wich  Village  was  overrun,  Stuyvesant  Square  isolated, 
Washington  Square  invested,  and  Fifth  Avenue  began 
to  fall.  New  York  society  became  a  society  in  retreat, 
driven  toward  the  park,  while  historic  homes,  if  they 
were  not  leveled  to  permit  the  sudden  rise  of  citadels 
of  industry,  passed  down  the  inevitable  ladder  of 
degradation  —  from  boarding  house  to  furnished 
rooms,  to  modified  flats,  their  lowest  stories  finally 
converted  into  laundries,  groceries,  and  cellars  for 
small  produce. 

There  is  something  grandiose  in  this  spectacle  of  a 
city  constantly  on  the  march,  a  spectacle  unique  in  his 
tory.  In  the  center,  the  main  attack  —  the  heavy 
battalions  of  industry  —  leveling  great  areas  with  its 
puissant  artillery,  fortifying  each  acre  conquered  with 
immense  redoubts,  strikes  straight  through  the  heart 
of  a  crumbling  resistance  toward  its  main  objective, 
the  Park,  leaving  to  its  covering  battalions  the  task  of 
subjugating  those  last  strongholds  of  resistance  where 


FOREWORD  vii 

the  enemy  clings  to  its  homes  in  Washington  Square 
and  embattled  Murray  Hill. 

On  the  West  Side,  the  spreading  invasion  has  been 
without  discipline  or  directing  force  —  that  horde  of 
guerillas,  free-booters,  and  scavengers,  which  rolls  up 
in  the  wake  of  an  invasion;  a  vast,  contaminating, 
pestilential  torrent,  engulfing  the  last  vestiges  of  the 
old  Dutch  and  Colonial  life  with  the  greed  of  a  tidal 
wave.  The  West  Side  contains  the  true  slums  of  the 
city  —  slums  of  little  sweatshops  and  ramshackle  fac 
tories,  slums  of  stagnant  existences  where  all  filth  and 
all  degradation,  all  bleakness  and  all  suffocation,  all 
races,  intermingle  in  the  mediocrity  of  arrested  devel 
opment.  It  is  a  region  without  clear  racial  definition, 
except  in  the  upper  reaches,  where  the  negro  has  estab 
lished  himself  like  a  spreading  shadow  cast  by  the 
advancing  line  of  skyscrapers.  If  this  western  inva 
sion  seems  at  first  formless  and  without  intent,  it  still 
flows  upward,  a  soiling  barrier  from  which  society 
recoils  as  from  a  pest. 

On  the  East  Side,  like  the  cohorts  of  imperial  Rome, 
an  immense  army  of  immigration  marches  toward 
the  future,  nation  upon  nation  treading  each  other 
down.  What  spectacle  in  history  is  comparable  to 
this  sublime  procession  of  races  up  the  East  Side,  heal 
ing  in  a  generation  the  ills  and  outrages  of  old  in 
justices  as  flowing  water  purifies  itself,  its  face  to  the 
future,  marching  toward  destiny  for  its  children  ? 

Brawling,  quick-witted,  gay,  the  Irish  landed  first. 
They  formed  their  clans,  fighting  for  the  love  of  com 
bat,  hard  drinkers,  loyal  friends,  predestined  politi 
cians,  establishing  themselves  in  the  old  Bowery  and 
the  now  forgotten  Five  Points,  until  forced  upward 
by  a  new  wave  of  refugees  from  Prussian  militarism. 


viii  FOREWORD 

The  great  disciplined  solidarity  of  Germany  arrived, 
bringing  their  theaters,  their  restaurants,  their  news 
papers,  their  Turnvereins,  their  choral  societies  — 
organizers  and  architects  of  industry.  The  Italian 
immigration  and  the  Russian-Hebrew  inflow  followed, 
each  in  defined  waves,  washing  its  precursor  further 
up  the  island  and  further  up  the  social  scale,  founding, 
in  the  tenacity  of  the  national  instinct,  "  Little  Italy  " 
and  the  great  Yiddish  Ghetto.  Other  waves  have 
rolled  in.  The  first  colonies  of  Italians  and  Hebrews, 
always  driven  upward,  have  seized  possession  of  the 
outskirts  of  the  Bronx  and  overflowed  across  rapidly 
multiplying  bridges  into  Williamsburg  and  into 
Queens,  while  below,  on  the  lower  East  Side,  the 
swarming  immigrants  still  land  by  the  hundreds  of 
thousands,  their  fortunes  on  their  backs,  occupying 
the  lately  relinquished  tenements  in  that  great  cellar 
to  opportunity  which  lies  below  Grand  Street.  This 
stupendous  march  of  four  nations  completes  the  in 
vestiture  of  old  New  York  by  piercing  its  left  flank, 
cutting  it  off  from  the  river,  and  crowding  it  more 
and  more  against  the  eastern  boundaries  of  the  park. 
What  has  happened?  Just  as  the  discovery  of  gun 
powder  destroyed  the  social  state  of  feudalism,  and 
the  invention  of  the  printing  press,  by  the  democratic 
dissemination  of  knowledge,  made  possible  Cromwell 
and  the  French  Revolution,  so  the  configuration  of 
New  York,  which  has  made  the  skyscraper  a  necessity, 
has  determined  an  unrelenting  conflict  between  the 
Past  and  the  Present,  a  war  visualized  to  the  minutest 
military  comparison  which  goes  on  day  by  day  before 
our  eyes.  Below  this  material  destruction  and  recon 
struction,  a  profound  change  has  been  wrought  in  the 
soul  of  the  society  in  flight.  In  1890,  New  York  was 


FOREWORD  ix 

a  city  of  homes ;  to-day,  it  is  a  wilderness  of  transient 
hotels. 

When  man  had  achieved  the  right  to  live  and  had 
conquered  political  liberty,  there  still  remained  ahead 
that  ultimate  human  goal  toward  which  all  his  efforts 
throughout  history  have  tended,  in  search  of  which 
he  has  tried  every  form  of  government  and  attempted 
every  code  of  morality  —  the  pursuit  of  happiness, 
the  final  realization  of  which  lies  in  ethical  and  spirit 
ual  domains.  It  is  his  final  judgment  on  society,  by 
which  it  stands  or  falls,  for  which  it  has  created  its 
forms  and  established  its  traditions.  Man  does  not 
seek  to  live  under  a  republic,  a  liberal  kingdom,  or  a 
beneficent  despotism.  Instinctively  he  seeks  his  in 
dividual  happiness,  but  as  his  soul  is  not  the  soul  of 
an  ox,  to  acquire  complete  happiness  he  must  have  the 
consciousness  of  freedom  to  think,  to  speak,  and  to 
act.  The  conquests  of  these  rights  (which  we  call 
history)  are  visible  and  material.  There  remains  the 
future  of  human  speculation,  that  pursuit  of  happiness 
which  is  the  inner  life  of  the  man  himself,  in  quest 
of  which  he  has  created  the  symbol  of  the  home  and 
attempted  to  perfect  the  convention  of  marriage. 

The  most  terrifying  emotion  which  he  can  feel  is 
the  sense  of  detachment  which  oppresses  him  when  he 
finds  himself  unrelated  to  the  progress  of  the  multi 
tude,  either  by  marriage,  by  the  ties  of  a  home,  or  by 
intimate  association  with  his  fellows.  Man  is  not  a 
solitary  creature.  His  instinct  is  to  associate  himself 
with  others  in  the  partnership  of  his  joys  and  his  sor 
rows.  His  sanity  and  morality  depend  on  some  re 
sponsibility  toward  others.  To  him,  home  is  not 
merely  four  walls  and  a  roof.  It  is  a  symbol.  To 


x  FOREWORD 

supply  the  need  of  his  imagination,  it  must  have  the 
permanence  of  a  continuing  tradition.  The  two  pro- 
foundest  instincts  of  which  he  is  capable,  which  direct 
him  in  all  his  course  through  life,  are  the  instincts  of 
acquisition  and  possession.  To  acquire,  to  add,  is  to 
progress.  To  possess  a  home  is  to  give  permanence 
to  this  progress.  For  there  is  a  certain  immortality 
about  property  which  extends  its  consoling  significance 
to  its  possessor.  But  to  have  that  sentiment  of  per 
manence  which  is  attached  to  the  symbol  of  the  home, 
he  must  have  his  feet  planted  in  the  soil.  Man  does 
not  possess  one  hundred  cubic  feet  of  air  sixty  feet 
above  the  ground. 

Three  additional  developments  in  New  York  have 
been  insidiously  corrupting  the  old  institution  of  the 
home  —  the  telephone,  which  has  leveled  its  walls; 
the  apartment  hotel,  which  has  torn  it  from  the  soil, 
and  the  automobile,  which  has  finally  transferred  it 
to  breathless  wheels.  The  modern  wife  finds  the  pri 
vacy  of  her  bedroom  invaded  by  a  swarm  of  acquaint 
ances  who  call  her  up  at  all  moments  of  the  day  and 
night,  interrupt  her  conversations,  disturb  her  sleep, 
summon  her  from  her  table.  Her  automobile  rushes 
her  forty  miles  away  for  dinner  in  a  popular  restaurant, 
and  she  changes  her  apartment  every  three  years  with 
out  a  memory  or  a  regret. 

A  new  and  restless  cosmopolitan  society  has  formed, 
always  in  motion,  without  relation  to  the  past  or  at 
tachment  to  the  present,  without  definite  object  ahead 
except  the  exigencies  of  pleasure.  In  this  society, 
maternity  consists  in  delegating  to  governesses  and 
boarding  schools  the  education  of  the  children,  while 
matrimony  is  little  more  than  a  legalized  method  of 
circulating  in  society  in  couples. 


FOREWORD  xi 

When  one  realizes  in  the  shifting,  tireless  city  of 
New  York  the  disappearance  of  the  old-fashioned 
home,  the  slight  authority  of  the  parent  generation, 
the  confusion  of  social  standards,  the  relaxing  of  re 
ligious  discipline,  one  can  see  that  each  marriage  is  to 
its  participants  a  fact  apart,  wherein  two  bewildered 
mortals  are  suddenly  compelled  to  establish  for  them 
selves,  in  their  search  for  happiness  and  mutual  re 
spect,  some  code  of  standards,  responsibilities,  and 
concessions,  as  though  they  were  themselves  creating 
the  institution  of  marriage. 

The  one  patent  social  fact  to-day  is  man's  injustice 
to  woman  in  the  sentimentalization  of  her  education. 
As  a  child,  she  is  taught  an  excessive  value  of  her  own 
preciousness.  As  a  debutante,  she  is  displayed  with 
barbaric  luxury  in  the  marts  of  society,  and  the 
crowded  years  of  servitude  to  pleasure  leave  her  tired, 
disillusioned,  and  restless.  She  marries,  and  the  ac 
quired  thirst  for  sensations  tends  naturally,  after  the 
accident  of  motherhood,  to  send  her  back  to  the  free 
dom  from  responsibilities  and  the  need  of  admiration 
which  was  her  life  as  a  young  girl.  In  place  of  a 
consecrating  ideal  of  duty,  which  alone  can  satisfy 
her  spiritual  longing  for  happiness,  she  is  taught  at 
every  step  to  conceive  of  her  privileged  existence  as 
the  pursuit  of  pleasure. 

In  this  parvenu  society  (which  finds  its  reflections  in 
certain  social  sets  throughout  the  country),  the  women 
have  created  a  society  of  sensations  never  deep  or  last 
ing —  sensations  which  must  rapidly  succeed  one  an 
other  and  be  constantly  intensified.  Man  to  them  is  a 
multiple  animal ;  the  flattery  of  the  crowd  replaces  the 
adoration  of  the  individual.  They  are  capable  neither 
of  great  passions  nor  great  wickedness,  and  therefore 


xii  FOREWORD 

easily  convince  themselves  that,  despite  luxury  and 
pleasure,  they  are  the  most  virtuous  of  wives.  It  is  a 
transitory  society,  for  it  is  a  society  profoundly  dis 
contented  and  tragically  inconsequential,  which  will 
disappear  as  humanity  continues  to  move  restlessly 
onward,  reestablishing  its  discipline  and  harking  back 
to  old  landmarks  in  its  eternal  pursuit  of  happiness. 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

That  wild,  unleashed  kiss  burned  her  lips  and  cut 
across  her  soul  like  the  sting  of  a  lash     Frontispiece 

His  glance  fell  on  her  neglige'e,  and  he  stopped    PAGE 
short 156 

"  You  will  join  me  later  with  the  trunks,"  said 
her  mistress  slowly 329 


PART   I 


VIRTUOUS  WIVES; 

PART   I 


IT  lacked  a  few  minutes  to  seven  by  the  gilded  clock 
in  the  brilliant  yellow  salon  of  the  Forresters'  apart 
ment  on  the  tenth  floor  of  one  of  those  great  stone 
bastions  which  a  society  in  retreat  has  erected  to  stem 
the  march  of  the  invader.  At  the  first  stroke  of  the 
hour,  Gregory,  who  had  been  waiting,  entered  the  red 
bedroom  of  his  master,  and  closed  the  heavy  windows, 
through  which,  on  the  crisp  September  sunshine,  the 
whistled  cries  of  the  awakening  city  were  already 
penetrating.  By  the  time  he  had  arranged  the  massive 
lace  curtains  of  the  third  window,  with  its  slaten  sweep 
of  chimneyed  roofs  and  the  flowing  green  of  Central 
Park,  Mr.  Forrester,  who  had  sprung  from  his  bed  at 
the  first  knock,  was  already  in  his  riding  breeches  and 
drawing  on  his  boots. 

"Well,  Gregory,  what's  the  weather?"  he  cried, 
with  the  vigor  of  a  man  of  strong  health  who  wakes 
with  alacrity  to  the  enthusiasms  of  the  day. 

"  It 's  a  lovely  morning,  sir." 

"  First  rate !  Tell  Morley  Mrs.  Forrester  is  not  to 
be  disturbed  —  unless  she  rings." 

"  Not  to  be  disturbed  —  yes,  sir,"  said  Gregory, 
with  the  impassiveness  of  forty  years  of  unemotional 
service. 


4  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

His  recent  marriage  had  changed  little  in  the  routine 
of  Andrew  Fon  ester's  day.  The  instinct  toward 
order  which  dominated  his  life  had  made  each  step 
so  rpeo-'.anieal  that  Gregory  himself  had  acquired  the 
precision  of  an  automaton.  He  knew  to  the  second 
the  precise  moment  when,  shaved  and  refreshed,  the 
master  would  bolt  from  the  tiled  bathroom  ready  for 
the  tendered  shirt  and  cravat,  and  when,  capped  and 
clothed,  he  had  seen  him  swallowed  up  in  the  volu 
minous  green  ulster  and  conducted  him  to  the  waiting 
elevator,  he  could  have  glanced  at  his  watch  and  pro 
nounced  with  certitude,  "  Twenty-two  after  the  hour." 

But  on  the  present  morning,  to  his  growing  aston 
ishment,  when  he  had  offered  the  gray  woolen  riding 
shirt,  instead  of  the  customary  snap  and  celerity,  he 
perceived  a  look  of  abstraction  on  the  still  young  face 
of  his  master  —  a  face  which,  despite  its  first  impres 
sion  of  agreeable  ugliness,  had  a  contagious  radiance 
of  success,  confidence,  and  decision.  Instead  of  ex 
tending  his  hand  for  the  stock  which  Gregory  held 
tenderly  poised,  Mr.  Forrester  wandered  over  to  the 
window  and  stood  staring  out  on  the  golden  city, 
hands  pocketed,  whistling  windily  the  soldiers'  chorus 
from  "  Faust."  He  came  back  frowning,  his  glance 
in  the  distance,  and  extended  his  arms  for  his  jacket. 

"  Beg  pardon,  sir  —  your  stock." 

"What?    Oh,  yes." 

He  took  the  stock,  tied  it  hastily,  and,  slipping  into 
his  riding  coat,  started  for  the  door. 

"  Beg  pardon,  sir ;  you  've  forgotten  your  watch 
and  wallet." 

"  Hullo,  so  I  have  —  that 's  queer !  " 

"  It  is  queer,"  said  Gregory  to  himself,  when  Mr. 
Forrester  had  disappeared  by  the  elevator.  "  Some- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  5 

thing  is  on  his  mind,  that 's  flat."  And  returning  to 
the  servants7  dining  room,  where  Morley,  the  lady's 
maid,  was  breakfasting  luxuriously  on  a  grapefruit 
with  the  addition  of  a  pot  of  cream  which  Quito,  the 
Japanese  cook,  had  offered  in  respectful  admiration, 
he  inquired, 

"  Bit  of  a  tiff  last  night  between  the  master  and  the 
missis?  " 

"  Bit  of  a  what  ?  "  said  Morley,  with  a  frigid  stare, 
for  she  resented  the  condescension  of  his  attitude. 

"  Bit  of  a  tiff." 

"  Go  on  now,"  said  Morley,  shrugging  her  shoul 
ders;  "can't  you  see  beyond  your  old  polished  nose? 
Why,  they  are  like  turtle  doves  together,  stupid." 

"  The  missis  is  not  to  be  waked,"  said  Gregory, 
surveying  the  evidences  of  petty  peculations  on  the 
table.  "  Master's  orders." 

"  As  though  she  intended  to  get  up  at  such  an  hour, 
the  pretty  dear !  "  said  Morley,  shrugging  her  shoul 
ders,  with  instinctive  hostility  toward  the  husband's 
pretensions. 

"  It 's  a  pity  she  does  n't.  She  might  find  some 
thing  to  interest  her  if  she  would  take  the  pains  to 
look,"  said  the  butler,  with  a  scornful  glance.  "  Pity 
you  would  n't  breakfast  on  champagne  and  humming 
birds'  wings !  " 

He  was  of  the  old  order  and,  if  he  availed  himself 
of  an  occasional  glass  or  a  cigar,  he  never  stole  beyond 
the  traditions  of  his  position,  while  the  extravagance, 
the  disorder,  and  the  waste  which  reigned  in  the 
kitchen  profoundly  shocked  his  sense  of  loyalty 
toward  the  master,  whom,  as  a  bachelor,  he  had  pro 
tected  from  other  transgressors. 

Meanwhile   Forrester,   out  in   the  open,   swinging 


6  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

powerfully  toward  his  riding  club  through  the  sleepy 
mobilization  of  the  army  of  labor,  which,  soiled,  and 
dusty,  crowding  surface  cars,  disgorging  from  the 
subway,  streamed  toward  the  river,  the  docks,  the 
excavations,  and  the  waiting  furnaces,  was  saying  to 
himself, 

"Shall  I  take  it  or  not?" 

He  had  placed  the  question  fifty  times  since  yes 
terday,  and  had  come  no  nearer  to  an  answer.  This, 
in  itself,  was  unusual,  for  he  prided  himself  on  his 
power  of  instant  decision.  There  was  no  hesitancy  in 
his  soaring  nature,  and  he  tolerated  none  in  his  sub 
ordinates  of  the  Cambridge  Structural  Steel  Works, 
of  which,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  he  was  already  the 
general  manager. 

"  A  year  ago,  I  would  have  jumped  at  the  chance," 
he  said  to  himself  in  surprise  —  a  year  ago  he  had  had 
no  thought  of  marriage.  "  It 's  big!  " 

He  entered  the  riding  club,  still  absorbed  in  his  per 
plexity.  From  the  urchin  in  buttons  to  the  stable  boy 
who  held  his  horse,  everyone  greeted  him  with  extra 
eagerness.  He  was  a  favorite  with  all  the  servants, 
not  only  for  the  sense  of  health  and  good  humor 
which  he  communicated  but  for  an  exact  discipline, 
tempered  with  a  prodigal  generosity.  He  was  well 
served,  and  served  with  respect.  He  had  the  best 
horse,  the  finest  equipment,  and  the  most  expert 
groom.  Wildfire,  a  coal-black  Kentucky  thorough 
bred,  was  capering  in  the  sawdust.  Forrester  exam 
ined  the  bit  with  care,  ordered  the  girth  tightened, 
and,  swinging  into  the  saddle,  went  clattering  into  the 
park,  where  the  horse  broke  into  a  headlong  gallop. 
The  mounted  policeman  smiled  tolerantly  at  his  law 
less  passage,  flattered  to  be  distinguished  by  name  by 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  7 

one  who  had  the  intimacy  of  such  rulers  of  destiny 
as  magistrates  and  commissioners. 

The  sun  was  yet  young  in  the  sky,  the  air  delicious, 
and  a  little  dew  hung  in  the  dark-green  shadows. 
Forrester  snatched  off  his  cap  and  stuffed  it  in  his 
pocket  and,  reveling  in  the  cut  of  the  wind,  which 
made  his  body  tingle  with  a  consciousness  of  his  youth 
and  strength,  drove  Wildfire  into  a  frenzied  rush. 
Though  he  rode  without  the  elegance  of  the  classic 
style  —  he  used  a  Mexican  saddle  with  box  stirrups  in 
loyalty  to  early  training  on  the  Western  plains  —  he 
had  that  spirit  of  mastery  which  a  horse  instantly 
recognizes,  and  held  his  seat  where  many  a  more 
graceful  rider  might  have  wavered. 

He  rode  at  life  as  though  he  were  riding  at  a  high 
hurdle.  Each  salient  feature  seemed  fashioned  by 
the  action  of  tempestuous  elements,  like  the  sharpened 
figurehead  of  a  ship  worked  by  wind  and  wave  —  the 
keen,  vulturelike  nose  under  the  open  flight  of  the 
eyebrows,  the  lean,  starting  cheek  bones,  the  worn 
maxillary  muscles  of  the  jaw,  the  set,  crooked  tenacity 
of  the  lips,  while  the  black  abundant  hair,  slightly 
shot  with  silver,  rippled  back  from  the  thin  forehead, 
past  the  large  ears,  which  adhered  to  the  skull  as 
though  blown  against  it  by  the  rapidity  of  his  progress 
through  life.  The  first  impression  was  of  gauntness, 
of  primitive  force,  of  crude  vitality,  but,  with  this, 
there  was  such  naturalness,  such  boyish  zest  in  the 
lighted  gray  of  his  glance,  such  resonant  friendliness 
in  the  deep  bass  of  his  voice,  such  a  swing  of  success 
and  power  in  his  bearing  that  this  overflowing  quality 
of  good  humor,  confidence,  and  decision  exerted  a 
distinct  physical  exhilaration  upon  all  persons  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact.  At  the  upper  end  of  the 


8  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

reservoir,  he  reined  in  abruptly  for  a  bantering  dis 
cussion  of  the  approaching  baseball  championship 
with  Corcoran,  the  officer  on  duty,  and  bolted  away 
on  his  return  trip. 

"  I  '11  put  it  over  until  to-morrow/'  he  said,  thinking 
of  the  momentous  decision  he  would  be  called  upon 
to  make. 

Other  problems  were  clamoring  for  immediate  ad 
justment.  This  violent  racing  half  hour  was  indeed 
not  a  relaxation  but  the  beginning  of  his  working 
day.  The  sensation  of  speed  gave  him  the  sensation 
of  power.  Under  this  stimulus,  his  mind  experienced 
an  extraordinary  clarity.  He  was  of  that  new  electric 
business  temperament,  which  is  given  to  the  masters 
of  New  York,  who  ride  the  shock  and  fury  of  its 
combat  as  the  aeroplane  soars  above  the  shock  and 
fury  of  the  storm  —  a  type  which  has  a  marked 
resemblance  to  those  abnormal  masters  of  the  air, 
whose  nerves,  far  from  breaking  under  the  shriek 
and  roar  of  motors,  the  giddy  rise  or  sickening  drop 
on  treacherous  air  currents,  or  faltering  at  the  in 
human  spectacle  of  swimming  earth  and  unstable 
skies,  derive,  on  the  contrary,  an  intense  emotion  of 
freedom  and  power,  a  superhuman  delight  in  com 
bat,  a  joy  in  returning  to  life,  where  normal  imag 
inations  would  collapse.  The  clamor  and  shock  of  the 
city,  the  shattering  iron  beating  against  the  ear  of 
train,  trolley,  truck,  and  steam  riveter,  of  all  the  hid 
eous  uplifted  scream  of  the  day,  which  fatigues  the 
ears  of  the  New  Yorker  and  leaves  its  straining  lines 
across  his  eyes  and  lips,  was  to  Forrester  a  nervous, 
combustible  chemistry.  It  awoke  every  mental  fac 
ulty.  It  surrounded  his  intellect  with  a  protecting 
wall  of  noise  and  permitted  it  a  steady  concentration. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  9 

"  Peters  is  not  the  man  for  the  operating  depart 
ment,"  he  said  to  himself  rapidly.  "  Ideas  but  no 
order.  No  economy.  Fromme  's  my  man.  The  over 
head  expenses  can  be  cut  another  hundred  thousand. 
By  the  way,  Dickson  can  dispense  with  a  third  stenog 
rapher,"  he  added,  his  mind  leaping  from  big  to  trivial 
details.  "  I  must  shave  down  my  bid  on  that  Argen 
tine  contract.  Wonder  if  Argules  is  straight.  I  must 
have  that  contract." 

The  great  neglected  field  of  South  America  stirred 
his  imagination,  and  he  sought  a  means  of  making 
sure  of  the  contract  without  offense  to  his  conscience, 
which  was  built  on  the  letter  of  the  law.  At  the  same 
time,  he  did  not  intend  to  overlook  the  possibility  of 
another  competitor  acting  with  less  scruple.  He  de 
cided  to  employ  that  classic  method  of  conversion,  by 
which  great  industries  assimilate  the  fearless  Federal 
inquisitor.  He  decided  to  digest  Argules. 

"  I  need  a  representative  for  that  field,  a  very  com 
fortable  commission  he  can  make  of  it,  too,"  he  said, 
smiling.  Instead  of  handling  Argules  at  this  end, 
which  was  repugnant  to  him,  it  should  be  a  straight 
transaction  —  a  retaining-fee  and  a  liberal  commis 
sion.  What  was  done  at  the  other  end  was  not  his 
affair.  By  the  time  he  had  returned  to  the  club,  he 
had  passed  upon  a  dozen  bids  which  he  would  be 
called  upon  to  offer  or  accept,  appropriated  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars  for  a  test  of  a  new  Swedish 
separating  process,  and  planned  a  personal  visit  to  the 
Pennsylvania  foundries,  where  a  knotty  question  with 
a  labor  union  had  to  be  met  with  tact. 

Back  in  his  apartment,  he  passed  under  the  cold 
sting  of  the  shower  and,  glowing  from  a  vigorous 
friction,  dressed  rapidly  while  giving  his  orders  for 
the  day. 


io  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

*  The  blue  suit,  Gregory.  Pack  up  my  things  for 
over  Sunday.  Tell  Bingham  the  car  at  four.  Better 
slip  in  my  riding  togs;  I  might  want  them."  As  this 
visit,  the  first  of  his  married  life,  represented  to  him  a 
social  departure,  he  went  to  his  bureau  and  carefully 
selected  a  handful  of  cravats  in  dark,  solid  colors. 
"  A  couple  of  silk  shirts  and,  instead  of  my  riding 
clothes,  put  in  my  golf  suit  and  a  brown  cutaway  — 
that  ought  to  do."  He  went  into  the  hall  and  returned 
to  add,  "  And,  Gregory,  a  pair  of  pumps,  also." 

This  week-end  invitation  to  the  Dellabarres,  at  Chil- 
ton,  was  an  event  of  such  troubling  importance  that 
he  felt  the  need  of  superior  counsel.  He  passed 
into  the  great  tiled  bathroom  which  separated  his 
room  from  his  young  wife's,  and,  tiptoeing  to  the 
door,  listened  hopefully.  He  had  given  orders  that 
she  should  not  be  wakened  —  and  yet  he  had  hoped 
that  just  this  one  morning  she  might  be  up,  radiant 
and  girlish  in  her  pink  panne-velvet  morning  gown, 
giving  a  glow  of  fragility  and  gentleness  to  the  break 
fast  table,  to  which  for  such  long  years  he  had  come 
with  the  feeling  of  a  lunch  counter.  He  listened,  and 
then,  concealing  his  disappointment,  went  into  the 
green  dining  room,  where  his  eggs,  which  had  boiled 
three  and  a  half  minutes,  were  waiting  at  his  place, 
with  three  newspapers  and  the  morning  mail.  He 
deviated  again  from  his  military  schedule  and,  ap 
proaching  the  white  marble  fireplace,  in  which  a  gas 
fire  was  licking  imitation  logs,  turned  to  survey  with  a 
feeling  of  still  new  possession  the  heavy  rococo  walnut 
furnishings,  the  massive  candelabra,  the  stout  silver 
service,  and  the  flagrant  red-and-white  sporting  prints 
—  an  assemblage  which  pleased  him  enormously  with 
its  substantial  elegance.  Standing  thus,  confident,  sue- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  u 

cessful,  and  alone,  before  an  imitation  hearth  in  an 
imitation  home,  he  might  have  served  as  a  symbol  of 
modern  individualism. 

But  Forrester  was  conscious  of  no  lack.  A  decade 
of  boarding  houses,  hotels,  and  bachelor  lodgings  had 
left  him  with  the  feeling  that  home  was  a  sort  of 
inner  office.  Not  that,  in  the  background  of  his  imag 
ination,  he  did  not  have  a  visualization  of  another 
home,  set  under  the  shelter  of  whispering  trees,  with 
memories  of  other  hands  on  olden  sofas  and  reveries 
in  the  depths  of  charred  fireplaces.  Only,  this  was 
for  the  future.  For  the  present,  he  wished  to  enjoy, 
and  to  enjoy  in  the  richness  of  his  youth.  He  had  the 
need  of  the, self-made  man  to  visualize  his  success,  of 
being  seen,  of  parading  the  beauty  and  charm  of  the 
young  wife,  whom  he  had  chosen,  as  he  chose  his  chef, 
his  chauffeur,  and  his  tailor,  with  the  instinct  to 
achieve  the  rarest. 

"  Decidedly  I  shall  refuse.  I  have  enough,"  he  said 
to  himself  suddenly.  "  In  five  years,  I  should  be  a 
millionaire  —  but  what  five  years !  " 

The  offer  which  he  had  all  at  once  determined  to  re 
fuse  was  this:  The  day  before,  no  less  a  personage 
than  T.  P.  Gunther  himself,  organizer  of  colossal  en 
terprises,  one  of  the  three  despots  of  the  Street,  in 
whose  hands  lay  tfye  gift  of  a  hundred  fortunes,  had 
personally  offered  him  the  presidency  of  the  Osaba 
Refining  and  Smelting  —  a  vast  property  recently  con 
solidated  by  his  interests  in  the  mining  districts  of 
Arizona  and  northern  Mexico.  The  offer  had  been 
peculiarly  tempting  in  financial  opportunity,  but  the 
condition  was  attached  that  he  should  not  relinquish 
office  before  five  years. 

"  No ;  I  have  enough/'  he  repeated,  with  a  smile. 


12  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

But  this  extraordinary  and  un-American  expression 
in  a  country  where  the  rich  grow  progressively 
poorer  was  not  as  limiting  as  it  appeared.  In  his 
contentment,  he  embraced  not  only  his  present  situa 
tion  but  that  future  success  which  he  could  count 
upon  as  his  reorganization  of  the  Cambridge  Struc 
tural  Steel  made  itself  felt. 

He  established  himself  at  the  table  for  that  triple 
process  of  breakfasting,  to  which  he  ordinarily  allotted 
ten  minutes  of  his  schedule,  and  which  consisted  in 
devouring  three  or  four  courses  while  he  digested  the 
news  of  the  day  in  the  headlines  of  two  papers  propped 
up  before  him  and  sorted  his  correspondence.  From 
his  mail,  he  carefully  selected  a  dozen  bills  for  Miss 
Burroughs,  the  social  secretary  he  had  generously 
provided  for  his  wife,  who,  at  the  end  of  the  month, 
would  give  him  the  total  required. 

He  finished  breakfast,  glanced  voraciously  through 
a  third  paper,  lit  his  morning  cigar,  and,  as  though 
staggered  by  the  grandeur  of  the  renunciation,  brought 
forth  pencil  and  paper  in  the  need  of  visualizing  his 
situation.  He  drew  a  neat  dividing  line,  jotting  down 
in  parallel  columns  the  figures  of  the  decision  he  in 
tended  to  make. 

"  Let 's  see  how  we  stand :  I  have  forty  thousand 
in  good  securities  at  four  and  a  half  per  cent  plus  one 
thousand  shares  of  Cambridge,  market  value  fifty-five 
thousand  —  will  go  to  par  in  three  years.  Adding  my 
salary  of  twenty-five  thousand,  which  certainly  will 
be  increased  on  the  publication  of  my  year's  report,  I 
can  count  on  a  capital  of  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  within  three  years."  He  contemplated  the 
figures,  which,  to  his  imagination,  crowned  twenty 
years  of  struggle  as  with  a  monument  and,  to  his 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  13 

vision  of  a  bachelor,  they  seemed  grandiose.  "  Now 
for  the  other  side.  Salary  fifty  thousand,  bonus 
twenty  thousand  shares  of  the  new  common  stock,  put 
out  at  ten  dollars  a  share/'  He  stopped  and,  before 
his  eyes,  the  figures  expanded  with  the  vision  of  the 
future.  He  multiplied  them  by  twenty,  by  thirty,  and 
by  fifty,  inscribing,  in  glowing  progression,  the  sums 
which  represented  the  mounting  fortune  his  efforts 
could  accomplish.  "Yes;  in  five  years  I'd  be  a 
millionaire.  But  those  five  years  —  that 's  just  the 
point!" 

He  rose  and  entered  the  brilliant  yellow  salon  for 
the  morning  survey  of  what  he  had  himself  assembled 
for  the  coming  of  his  bride.  It  was  heavy;  it  was 
massive,  and  it  was  gorgeous.  A  dozen  eras  crowded 
together,  Louis  XVI,  Empire,  Colonial,  and  Heppel- 
white,  amid  a  profusion  of  Japanese  prints,  modern 
porcelains,  and  imitation  flowers.  In  this  herding  of 
bric-a-brac,  his  eye  detected  a  vacant  corner  which 
offended  it,  and  he  remembered  a  bronze  on  a  marble 
pedestal  which  would  fill  in  exactly. 

"  I  '11  have  it  sent  up  as  a  surprise  to  the  missis,"  he 
said,  delighted.  He  loved  the  room  with  the  whole 
some  joy  of  possession.  "  Well,  Andrew  B.  Forrester, 
I  guess  we  've  settled  that,"  he  said,  but  a  little  doubt 
fully.  "  Years  are  more  precious  than  money,  and 
I  've  earned  the  right  to  take  it  easy.  In  four  or  five 
years,  when  she  's  had  a  chance  to  play,  we  can  buy 
a  country  place  and  settle  down.  Children  —  yes;  I 
suppose  that  will  be  all  right  then.  There  ought  to 
be  some  one  to  inherit  what  I  have  to  leave.  I  've 
got  enough  as  it  is  —  I  'm  satisfied.  That 's  settled. 
Everything  's  settled." 

He  thought  of  his  young  wife  with  a  sudden  feel- 


14  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

ing  of  tenderness,  pride,  and  gratitude.  His  pride 
in  her  possession  was  the  pride  of  his  whole  self- 
made  existence  in  achieving  the  impossible,  and  his 
gratitude  was  deepest  of  all  that,  at  the  critical  period 
of  his  life  when  emerging  from  the  struggle  for 
power,  at  that  dangerous  age  when  the  self-made  man, 
in  this  first  leisure,  experiences  the  temptation  of  a 
boy  of  twenty,  she  had  brought  to  him  contentment, 
order,  and  security  when  other  men  found  themselves 
distracted  and  torn  by  a  life  of  dissipation.  It  is  at 
this  point  where,  in  his  simple  faith,  he  saw  an  end, 
that  the  human  drama  which  awaits  the  shock  of  oppo 
site  sexes,  the  action  and  reaction  of  one  mind  on 
another,  the  conflict  of  wills,  of  instincts,  and  of  tem 
peraments,  was  preparing  its  beginning. 


II 

WELL  after  nine  o'clock,  little  Mrs.  Forrester 
awoke  with  a  start,  as  she  had  done  each  morn 
ing  of  the  two  weeks  in  her  new  surroundings,  with  a 
feeling  of  being  lost  in  some  strange  land.  For  a 
moment,  still  caught  in  a  passing  dream,  it  seemed 
to  her  that  she  was  turning  in  the  perfumed  crush  of 
one  of  the  brilliant  balls  which  had  crowded  her  last 
year's  appearance  in  society. 

"  I  must  be  dreaming,"  she  said  to  herself,  with  an 
effort.  "  That  can't  be.  I  know  very  well  that  I  am 
in  my  little  blue  room  and  old  Hannah  is  coming  in 
with  the  coffee  and  the  roses.  That 's  it.  I  'm 
waking  up." 

Smiling  to  herself,  she  succeeded  in  half  opening 
her  eyes.  But  instead  of  the  mahogany  footboards 
and  the  casement  window  with  red  ramblers  nodding 
across  the  gray  thread  of  the  far-off  Hudson,  she  be 
held  something  draped  and  lacy  above  her  head,  and 
then,  through  the  diluted  shadows  of  the  Louis  XVI 
bedroom,  a  shining  dressing  table  weighted  down  with 
silver,  a  white-and-gold  chaise  longue,  while  from  a 
corner,  hazily  giving  back  her  own  image  in  the  cano 
pied  paneled  bed,  a  cheval  glass  grew  from  the  floor 
to  the  ceiling  of  the  soft  pink  room.  She  had  again 
an  acute  feeling  of  strangeness.  But  all  at  once  she 
began  to  laugh. 

"  Oh,  yes  —  I  'm  married,  and  I  must  get  up  in 
time  to  breakfast  with  Andrew."  At  this  moment, 


16  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

her  glance  encountered  the  accusing  face  of  a  jeweled 
clock.  "  Half -past  nine !  Oh  dear,  I  never  seem  to 
get  up,  and  I  ought  to  —  it 's  —  it 's  my  duty.  I  must 
—  to-morrow.  Poor  dear  boy,  it's  so  lonely!  If  I 
telephoned  him  — "  A  little  hand  groped  for  the 
receiver  and  stopped.  "  No,  no  —  too  sentimental, 
Amy!  He  won't  say  anything,  but  he  won't  like  it. 
That  horrid  business !  Oh,  dear,  I  must  grow  up !  " 

To  grow  up  and  to  get  up  were  two  ideas  hopelessly 
entangled  in  her  foggy  mind.  She  rang  for  her  maid 
and  went  off  into  dreams,  wherein  were  strangely 
mingled  rapid  nights  of  social  pleasures  and  memo 
ries  of  the  sheltered  home  of  her  childhood,  where 
everything  had  revolved  about  her,  where  her  father, 
Judge  Starling,  and  her  uncle  Tom  carried  her  round 
on  their  shoulders  as  though  determined  that  she 
should  never  grow  up.  She  was  not  yet  twenty-one. 
She  had  made  her  debut  in  society  the  year  before, 
and  her  abrupt  marriage  to  Andrew  Forrester  the 
summer  after  a  frantic  season,  which  had  left  her 
a  few  illusions  and  a  part  of  her  health,  had  been  a 
mystery  to  her  intimates  and  a  shock  to  a  multitude  of 
more  or  less  fervent  admirers. 

Five  minutes  later,  Morley's  bleached  features  ap 
peared  behind  the  massive  silver  breakfast  service  (a 
gift  of  Forrester's  business  associates).  The  maid 
set  the  tray  gingerly  down,  and  stood  a  moment,  con 
templating  the  charming  figure  of  her  young  mistress. 

"  She  is  quite  too  ravishing,"  she  said  contentedly. 
"  How  in  the  world  did  he  ever  get  her  ?  Pretty  little 
beauty!" 

In  that  miraculous  garden,  America,  where  a  virgin 
soil  and  an  ardent  sky  combine  to  produce  exquisite 
human  flowers,  she  was  of  the  most  delicate  loveliness. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  17 

She  slept  lightly,  her  dainty  head  pillowed  against  one 
soft  white  arm,  and  everything  in  the  modeled  oval  of 
her  face  seemed  alert  and  on  the  wing  —  the  thin  hazel 
eyebrows  which  were  lifted  until  they  seemed  to  form 
an  acute  angle  on  the  forehead,  the  slender  nose  a 
little  in  the  air,  the  thin  upper  lip  rising  to  a  point 
above  a  line  of  teeth  that  glistened  like  milky  beads, 
while  the  red  splash  of  the  under  lip  was  sensitive  and 
full  with  the  already  awakened  instinct  toward  the 
pleasant  intoxication  of  the  senses.  The  light  and 
abundant  hair  was  drawn  clear  of  the  neck,  which  was 
as  fragile  as  the  support  of  a  Venetian  vase.  In 
all  this  there  was  something  that  hovered  like  the 
pleasure  of  a  hidden  perfume  —  the  spirit  of  uncon 
scious  pleasing  which  remained  in  spite  of  her  first 
contact  with  the  artificial  world,  a  charm  which  was 
not  yet  of  art  or  experience  but  of  youth  and  anticipa 
tion,  a  charm  that  was  just  beginning. 

When  she  again  awoke,  it  was  past  ten  o'clock,  and 
the  telephone  at  her  bed  was  buzzing  imperiously. 
She  took  up  the  receiver  with  some  petulance. 

"Amy,  it's  Fifi!" 

She  gave  a  cry  of  delight  at  the  sound  of  her 
cousin's  voice. 

"  Plow  wonderful  —  you  darling!  Where  are  you? 
What  are  you  doing  ?  " 

"  Down  to  shop.  Crazy  to  see  what  you  look  like. 
How  's  married  life?  May  I  peek  in  on  you?  ...  I 
may?  ...  In  half  an  hour  —  gorgeous!  So  long!" 

"  What  did  we  do  last  night?  "  said  Amy  to  herself, 
rising  reluctantly.  She  remembered  that  they  had 
gone  to  the  theater  and  then  to  a  roof  garden  to  dance 
until  after  two.  "  To-night  early  to  bed,"  she  said, 
with  a  touch  of  remorse.  "  I  've  kept  him  up  every 
night  this  week,  and  Andrew  must  work." 


i8  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

All  at  once,  she  recalled  with  delight  the  invitation 
to  the  Dellabarres.  In  the  fortnight  since  their  return, 
she  had  seen  no  one  in  the  deserted  city,  and  the  isola 
tion  had  weighed  heavily.  She  was  looking  forward 
to  her  entrance  into  the  younger  married  set  with  a 
little  apprehension  and  much  pleasant  excitement  — 
apprehension  at  this  coming  contact  with  the  brilliant 
women  of  the  world,  and  excitement  because  she  knew 
she  had  nothing  to  fear. 

There  was  about  this  invitation,  moreover,  a  side 
which  she  had  not  quite  divulged  to  her  husband. 
When  Mr.  Dellabarre  had  stopped  to  speak  to  them 
in  a  restaurant,  she  was  then  so  overwhelmed  with 
loneliness  that  she  had  instinctively  put  herself  out  to 
a  little  more  than  please.  When  the  invitation  had 
arrived,  three  days  later,  she  had  experienced  a  sudden 
return  of  that  intoxicating  sense  of  power  which  she 
had  felt  so  often  in  the  year  of  her  debut  whenever 
she  had  come  victoriously  into  a  public  place. 

"  Never  mind  the  eggs,  Morley  —  just  heat  up  the 
coffee,"  she  said  apologetically,  as  she  slipped  a  tiny 
foot  into  the  fur  slipper  and  felt  the  luxurious  warmth 
of  her  eider-down  peignoir  —  Andrew's  gift  —  close 
over  her  shoulders. 

This  bourgeois  consideration  for  the  chef  shocked 
Morley. 

"  Not  at  all,  madam ;  the  eggs  and  the  coffee  are 
quite  spoiled,"  she  said,  and  departed  with  dignity  for 
a  new  breakfast. 

Back  from  her  bath,  indolently  installed  in  the  deep 
cushion  of  the  chaise  longue,  Amy  Forrester  began 
the  perusal  of  her  morning  mail  while  Morley  ar 
ranged  the  second  breakfast.  There  were  letters  from 
schoolgirl  chums,  debutantes  of  last  year,  with  highly 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  19 

colored  descriptions  of  their  eager  ventures  into  the 
painted  gardens  of  society.  She  smiled  over  their 
extravagances,  and  smiled,  too,  at  herself,  wondering 
if  their  vision  or  herself  were  the  more  unreal  — 
a  child  installed  over  three  servants  and  a  chauffeur  — 
and,  of  course,  the  destinies  of  a  husband.  For,  some 
times  in  the  reveries  of  the  day,  she  awpke  with  a  start 
and  asked  herself  how  it  all  had  happened. 

"  Will  you  take  your  breakfast  now,  madam?  " 

Morley's  question  had  the  sound  of  an  ultimatum. 
She  glanced  up  guiltily,  very  tiny  in  the  chaise  longue, 
like  a  little  marquise  of  the  days  when  Boucher  drew. 
Morley  always  seemed  to  be  watching  for  her  mis 
takes.  It  gave  her  the  feeling  of  going  to  school  for 
the  first  time. 

'  Yes,  I  'm  ready,  and,  Morley,  bring  in  any  pack 
ages  that  have  come." 

She  breakfasted  rapidly  on  a  new  variety  of  hot 
house  melon,  which  she  had  found  in  a  Fifth  Avenue 
fruit  store,  eggs  and  cream  from  a  fancy  dairy,  with 
a  slice  of  the  finest  Virginia  razor-back  ham.  While 
Morley  removed  the  tray,  she  delved  into  the  pyramid 
of  boxes  which  represented  an  average  day's  shopping 
—  gloves,  shoe  buckles,  a  lace  collar,  a  new  perfume  to 
try,  some  candied  fruits,  a  warmer  fur  rug  for  the 
car,  two  blouses,  and  a  traveling  hat.  She  had  not 
the  slightest  conception  of  such  social  annoyances  as 
addition  of  expenses  and  subtraction  of  income.  Why 
should  she? 

At  the  age  of  twelve,  two  years  after  the  death  of 
her  mother,  her  father,  in  a  moment  of  poignant  affec 
tion,  had  said  to  her: 

"  Whatever  you  wish  in  this  world,  my  little  girl, 
tell  me.  You  shall  have  it."  Of  how  deeply  her  first 


20  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

season  had  cut  into  his  capital,  she  had  not  the  slight 
est  conception.  Her  aunt  had  never  interposed  an 
objection  to  her  whim.  Whatever  she  wanted,  she 
bought  —  for  shopping  was  such  fun. 

"  Quito  is  ready  for  his  order,  madam." 

A  trim  young  Japanese,  in  white  pique,  wobbled  in, 
smiling.  The  blue  eyes  of  Mrs.  Forrester  assumed 
an  expression  of  appropriate  gravity. 

"  We  '11  be  two  at  luncheon,"  she  said,  frowning 
with  the  intensity  of  the  mental  effort  involved.  There 
was  a  pause. 

"  Bouillon  —  some  fishy?  " 

She  nodded  and  said  firmly, 

"  Yes  —  then  after  the  fish  a  filet  mignon" 

"How?" 

"  Oh,  with  —  "  She  came  to  a  full  stop.  "  Just  fix 
it  up  in  some  nice  way  and  get  whatever  's  best  in  fresh 
vegetables.  Then  some  sort  of  a  salad  and  a  dessert 
—  the  kind  you  made  yesterday.  And,  Quito,  we  '11 
be  going  away  over  Sunday."  A  long  pause.  "  Get 
whatever  's  necessary  for  the  kitchen." 

Quito  disappeared,  smiling  his  toothy,  Oriental 
smile,  while  Mrs.  Forrester,  these  fatiguing  household 
duties  accomplished,  returned  to  her  reveries. 

She  felt  that  she  had  nothing  to  do.  The  third 
month  of  her  married  life  found  her  restless  and  be 
wildered,  and  if  to  Andrew  their  marriage  seemed  the 
resolution  of  all  his  perplexities,  to  her  it  appeared 
as  the  opening  of  all  her  problems.  The  sensation  of 
being  abandoned,  isolated,  and  alone  possessed  her 
completely  in  the  gorgeous  apartment  of  which  her 
hands  had  not  chosen  a  single  bit  of  furniture.  Every 
thing  had  been  prepared  for  her  coming,  even  in  her 
bedroom,  from  the  thick  golden  carpet  to  the  crowded 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  21 

knick-knacks  on  the  mantel,  even  to  the  marvel  of 
panne  velvet  and  chinchilla  which  wrapped  her  little 
body  —  all  had  been  chosen  for  her.  At  times,  it  gave 
her  a  feeling  of  discomfort  —  as  though  there  were 
something  immoral  in  her  accepting  all  this  luxury. 

Yet  she  had  been  brought  up  to  consider  herself  an 
object  of  luxury,  and  all  her  education  had  tended  to 
enhance  this  value.  Every  responsibility  had  been 
carefully  spared  her.  All  her  life  she  had  been  petted 
and  spoiled  and  forbidden  to  grow  up.  Andrew  had 
but  followed  her  father  and  uncle  Tom  —  Andrew, 
who  adored  to  snatch  her  up  from  the  ground  and 
swing  her  to  his  shoulder. 

She  smiled  pensively  as  she  recalled  the  first  time 
it  happened.  They  were  in  the  old  English  garden, 
under  the  crooked  cherry  tree,  the  second  day  of  their 
engagement.  That  morning,  she  had  been  full  of 
doubts  and  hesitations,  yes,  even  of  terror,  as  she 
walked  by  his  side  and  watched  him,  wondering  what 
force  had  bent  her  to  this  stranger  who  had  descended 
into  her  life  with  such  imperious  conquest.  All  at  once 
he  had  laughed  and  swung  her  to  his  shoulder,  and,  in 
the  sensation  of  riding  so  lightly,  so  securely,  all  her 
questionings  had  vanished.  This  must  be  the  buoyant 
force  to  carry  her  slightly  indolent  nature  out  and  up 
into  the  great  world  of  pleasant  happenings.  When 
she  thought  of  her  husband  even  now,  she  thought  of 
herself  above  his  shoulder,  carried  lightly  along,  look 
ing  down  at  his  eyes,  which  grew  young  as  a  boy's  as 
they  turned  to  her  in  pride  and  adoration.  She  smiled 
again,  persuading  herself  that  there  was  something 
symbolic  about  it  —  what  marriage  should  be. 

"Madame  is  taking  three  evening  gowns?"  said 
Morley,  returning.  She  drew  a  peignoir  over  her 


22  VIRTUOUS   WIVES 

young  mistress's  shoulders,  brushing  out  the  long 
mole-colored  hair  that,  in  its  undulations,  had  certain 
faint  violet  tints.  "  The  Dellabarre's  is  a  fine 
house.  They  do  a  lot  of  dressing  there.  Chilton 
is  a  very  smart  place,  lots  of  polo  and  gentlemen 
riding.  They  do  drink  like  lords.  I  was  at  Chilton 
three  years  with  Mrs.  Challoner.  She  is  quite  the 
fashionable  beauty,  though  her  hips  are  bad,  but  she 
gets  over  that  very  well  with  these  new  corsets.  Mrs. 
Challoner  and  Mrs.  Dellabarre  are  great  friends, 
though  they  do  fight  over  a  man  like  panthers.  Mrs. 
Challoner  is  a  beast  to  serve,  though.  I  gave  notice 
when  she  threw  a  water  jug  at  the  second  man,  and 
a  pretty  penny  it  cost  the  master,  too,  hushing  it  up. 
He  's  a  beast,  too  —  but  she  handles  him !  " 

Little  Mrs.  Forrester  was  not  listening  to  these 
revelations  about  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Challoner,  whom 
a  foreign  portrait  painter,  before  presenting  his  bill, 
had  pronounced  the  most  perfect  blond  in  America. 
She  was  still  in  the  past. 

How  had  it  happened?  She  had  passed  through 
her  first  season  without  time  for  any  other  emotion 
but  the  appetite  for  changing  pleasures  and  multiple 
sensations.  She  had  been  surfeited  with  too  much 
success.  Her  physical  self  had  finally  rebelled  at  the 
demands  upon  it;  and,  as  her  nature  was  neither  cold 
nor  calculating,  as  she  had  from  her  home  a  genuine 
love  of  simple  things,  of  nature,  and  a  true  kindliness 
of  heart,  in  reviewing  the  record  of  the  winter,  she 
had  asked  herself  frankly  what  it  had  all  been  worth 
and  where  it  would  lead  her.  She  had  felt  in  her  a 
conflict  of  natures  —  one  whirling  her  back  into  this 
maelstrom  of  luxury,  selfishness,  and  of  pleasant  vani 
ties,  and  the  other  recoiling  before  the  inevitable  con- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  23 

elusion.  Andrew  had  come;  a  force  beyond  her 
reasoning  had  swept  her  off  her  feet.  Her  deeper 
nature  had  seen  in  him  a  sign  of  providence.  Mar 
riage  to  him  had  seemed  the  opportunity  to  live  to  the 
fullest,  to  concentrate  the  best  that  was  in  her,  to  es 
cape  from  the  dangerous  current  of  adulation  and 
flattery  which  awaited  her  on  her  return  —  a  danger 
she  was  young  enough  to  recognize.  What  troubled 
her  now  was  that  it  was  all  so  different  from  what 
she  had  imagined.  Her  husband  was  as  great  a 
stranger  to  her  as  the  day  he  had  met  her. 

"  Really,  I  must  do  something.  I  must  talk  to  him 
and  make  him  understand." 

Yet  what  she  wanted  him  to  understand  was  hazy 
in  her  own  mind.  There  was  something  wrong. 
Whose  fault  was  it  ?  Hers  or  his  ? 

"  Mrs.  Dellabarre  is  n't  as  handsome  as  Mrs.  Chal- 
loner,  but  she  makes  more  show.  Mrs.  Dellabarre  has 
very  fine  taste,"  continued  Morley;  "  she  gives  out  for 
twenty-six,  but  she  must  be  a  year  or  two  closer  than 
that.  He  Js  getting  on  to  fifty.  He  's  an  odd  one, 
very  attentive  to  the  children.  Mrs.  Dellabarre  ain't 
maternal.  Her  marriage  was  quite  a  surprise,  they 
do  say.  Every  one  had  figured  her  out  for  Mr. 
Bracken  —  Mr.  Monte,  that  is." 

She  rambled  on,  detailing  bits  of  gossip,  painting 
the  society  of  the  younger  married  set  from  the  piti 
less  knowledge  of  the  servant  world.  Amy  listened, 
wondering.  It  seemed  to  her  that  another  life  lay 
ahead  which  was  for  her  to  choose,  a  life  of  contend 
ing  vanities,  of  unceasing  rounds  of  pleasure,  wherein 
she  found  again  all  the  returned  appetite  of  her  season 
of  the  year  before.  Yet,  as  she  was  a  creature  of 
moods  and  her  moods  changed  rapidly,  already,  as 


24  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

she  thought  of  the  coming  visit,  she  was  surprised  at 
the  feeling  of  zest  which  came  to  her,  a  feeling  of 
well-being,  permeating  all  her  senses. 

At  this  moment  Fifi  Nordstrum  burst  into  the  room 
and  precipitated  herself  into  her  arms,  almost  upset 
ting  the  chaise  longne  in  the  ardor  of  her  embrace. 


Ill 


WHAT  is  called  fashionable  society,  or  that  por 
tion  of  it  which  sets  itself  a  steady  task  of  din 
ing,  dressing,  and  dancing,  is  divided  into  two  distinct 
groups:  the  debutantes  of  the  first  and  second  years, 
who  are  organized  defensively  against  the  married 
women ;  and  the  young  married  set,  about  which  clus 
ter  the  foolish  virgins  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  seasons. 
Fifi  Nordstrum  was  a  social  guerrilla,  pursuing  her 
predatory  way  through  all  sets.  The  young  matrons 
feared  her;  the  young  debutantes  imitated  her  with 
gushing  admiration.  She  was  in  her  twenty-seventh 
year,  and  her  portrait  and  doings  were  as  well  known 
to  the  readers  of  Sunday  supplements  and  fashion 
magazines  as  the  best  advertised  actress.  She  had 
been  reported  engaged  to  three  celebrities  of  the  head 
lines  —  an  Arctic  explorer,  a  famous  aviator,  and  the 
hero  of  the  last  international  polo  match.  She  knew 
every  one  of  note  from  the  opera  and  the  stage,  where 
she  had  the  entree,  to  the  latest  dancer  with  whom  she 
danced  and  the  last  cafe  favorite  who  sang  his  songs 
to  her.  She  was  a  dark  North-of-Ireland  type,  with 
out  particular  beauty  except  for  deep  blue  eyes  that 
were  radiant  with  animation,  and  teeth  of  remarkable 
whiteness  and  regularity.  Her  body  was  straight  and 
firm  as  an  Indian's,  her  nose  upturned,  her  mouth 
thin  and  wide.  She  spoke  in  a  high,  nervous  voice. 
She  walked  without  grace,  and  she  dressed  often  with 
complete  disdain  for  coquetry.  But,  for  all  that,  she 


26  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

knew  how  to  place  a  value  upon  herself  in  the  eyes 
of  men. 

Her  first  movement,  after  embracing  her  cousin 
with  the  ardor  of  a  young  bear,  was  to  stare  at  Morley. 

"Hullo!  What 's  your  name  ?  Seen  you  before," 
she  said,  flinging  her  furs  in  the  general  direction  of 
the  maid. 

"  Morley,  Miss  Nordstrum ;  I  was  three  years  with 
Mrs.  Challoner." 

t(  Yes ;  I  remember,  you  were  with  the  Ice-maiden," 
said  Fifi,  who  resented  Mrs.  Challoner's  sculptural 
beauty.  "  Well,  Morley,  hang  up  my  things  in  the 
hall,  and  don't  listen  at  the  door,  for  we  want  to  be 
alone." 

She  dismissed  the  maid  thus  in  the  most  natural 
way  in  the  world,  so  that  Morley,  who  patronized  her 
mistress,  went  out  laughing.  Fifi  installed  herself  by 
the  gas  log,  drawing  up  her  skirts  to  warm  her  legs, 
lit  a  cigarette,  made  a  grimace,  and  flung  it  away. 

"  Well,  tell  me  all  about  it.  You  beast,  you  might 
at  least  have  waited  till  I  got  back  from  California! 
What  made  you  marry  him,  anyway  ?  " 

"  Could  n't  help  it,"  said  Amy,  laughing,  and  for 
getting  that  a  moment  before  she  had  asked  herself 
the  same  question. 

'  That 's  no  answer,"  said  Fifi,  looking  round. 
"  Who  furnished  the  apartment  ?  Hubby  ?  Heavens, 
what  a  scramble !  " 

Amy  burst  out  laughing,  which  was  the  only  way 
to  handle  her,  and  brought  out  two  photographs  of 
Andrew,  one  on  horseback,  taken  on  their  trip  West, 
and  another  in  football  togs,  a  memento  of  his  college 
days. 

"  I  see  —  the  cave-man  idea,"  said  Fifi,  in  the  slang 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  27 

of  the  day.  I  like  ugly  men.  He 's  nicer  than  I 
expected." 

"Keep  off!" 

"  Oh,  that  kind  of  man  has  no  use  for  me." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Oh,  no  offense,"  said  Fifi,  throwing  herself  back 
in  a  chair  and  plucking  out  a  cigarette  which,  this  time, 
she  continued  to  smoke  with  rapid,  deep-taken  breaths. 
"  Business  men  are  the  only  real  type  of  Americans 
—  if  only  they  would  n't  be  ashamed  of  it.  The  others 
are  imitation,  bad  European  imitation.  They  don't 
know  how  to  play.  They  make  love  like  sand  crabs, 
and  they  bore  you.  How  can  they  help  boring  you 
when  they  are  bored  to  death  themselves.  If  you  Ve 
got  nothing  to  do,  you  must  have  brains  to  do  it. 
Well,  if  you  don't  treat  Andrew  decently,  I  shall  come 
up  and  play  with  him  myself." 

Amy  laughed  and  replaced  the  photographs.  Fifi's 
appreciation  seemed  to  make  Andrew  more  real. 

"And  you?" 

"  I  ?  I  have  n't  even  got  my  winter  engagement. 
I  shall  fight  the  matrons  again,  I  suppose,"  said  Fifi, 
shrugging  her  shoulders.  "  However,  I  am  getting 
ready  for  the  season.  I  have  joined  a  complexion 
party." 

"Good  heavens,  what's  that?" 

"  Helena  Partridge  is  giving  it.  There  are  four  of 
us,  all  freckled.  You  cover  your  face  with  a  new 
cream  and  keep  in  a  dark  room  for  three  days.  I  want 
Dolly  to  marry  this  season,  so  I  am  sacrificing  my 
self."  She  broke  off  suddenly.  "  Are  you  sorry  you 
are  married  ?  Have  you  seen  any  men  since  you  've 
been  back?" 

Amy  was  afraid  that  her  cousin  would  take  her 


28  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

answer  from  the  embarrassment  on  her  face,  so  she 
hastened  to  say: 

"  Fifi,  you  are  incorrigible !  I  'm  terribly  in  love 
—  more  than  ever." 

Fifi  looked  unconvinced. 

"  Hurry  up  and  dress.  Andrew  's  a  self-made  man, 
is  n't  he  ?  How  do  you  like  keeping  house  ?  Who  's 
in  town  ?  " 

'  You  're  the  first  soul  I  've  seen,"  said  Amy,  avoid 
ing  the  previous  questions. 

"  And  the  Old  Guard?  "  said  Fifi,  opening  her  eyes. 
"  Just  because  you  're  married,  you  're  not  going  to 
live  in  a  convent,  are  you  ?  "  She  glanced  admiringly 
at  her  cousin,  who  stood  glowing  with  youth. 
"  Really,  Amy,  you  are  too  delicious  to  be  married. 
Oh,  3'ou  need  n't  blush,  and  you  need  n't  say  it. 
You  're  like  all  the  rest,  never  going  to  look  at  another 
man.  But  you  '11  get  over  that  quick  enough.  You  Ve 
got  a  lot  of  hearts  to  break  still.  Mother  will  never 
forgive  you.  She  had  picked  you  out  for  a  duke  at 
least.  Well,  I  want  to  see  him.  Telephone  down  to 
Andrew  and  tell  him  he  can  take  us  out  for  lunch." 

"  My  dear  Fifi,"  said  Amy,  with  a  touch  of  pride, 
"  Andrew  is  n't  lounging  around  a  broker's  office  —  " 

"  He 's  an  important  personage,  of  course,"  said 
Fifi,  interrupting;  "yes,  yes." 

"  Besides,  we  are  running  down  to  the  Dellabarre's 
this  afternoon." 

"To  Irma?  That  body-snatcher!"  said  Fifi,  in 
surprise.  "  Never  mind ;  I  dote  on  Irma.  She  's  the 
one  really  clever  woman  I  know.  By  the  way,  just 
tell  her  for  me  that  I  've  made  up  my  mind  to  play  with 
Monte  Bracken  this  winter,  and  that  she  can  keep  off 
the  reservation." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  29 

"  I  '11  be  sure  to  tell  her  nothing  of  the  kind." 

"  Then  I  've  a  mind  to  throw  the  complexion  and 
run  over  and  do  it  myself,"  said  Fifi,  following  her 
out  to  the  elevator.  "  I  'm  only  a  hundred  miles  away. 
By  the  way,  you  '11  probably  find  an  old  friend  there." 

"Who?" 

"  Tody  Dawson,"  said  Fifi,  and  then,  as  she  saw 
the  dismay  on  Amy's  face,  she  added,  with  a  laugh: 
'  You  innocent  thing!  Why,  he  's  consoled  long  ago. 
He  's  already  one  of  Irma's  crocodiles.  You  don't 
know  what  that  is?  That's  what  Irma  calls  the  lan 
guishing  type  of  adorers  —  crocodile  tears,  you  know. 
I  'm  crazy  about  Irma.  If  I  were  sure  Monte  would 
be  there,  I  would  come  over  and  grab  him.  He  's 
quite  exciting  —  but  too  dangerous  for  you,  my  dear. 
So  don't  lose  your  pretty  little  head.  Is  this  your 
car  ?  "  she  said,  examining  a  magnificent  green  limou 
sine  which  was  waiting  and,  without  caring  whether 
she  was  heard  or  not,  she  added,  "  The  chauffeur,  my 
dear,  is  very  handsome." 

Once  inside  the  luxurious  body,  dainty  as  a  jewel 
box,  she  nodded  in  appreciation. 

"Good  for  Andrew!" 

"  We  have  a  runabout,  too,"  said  Amy,  with  a  sigh. 

Fifi  noticed  the  sigh.  Little  escaped  her,  and  think 
ing  of  all  the  whirl  of  gaiety,  of  flattery,  and  of  ad 
miration  that  her  beautiful  cousin  had  renounced  at 
the  end  of  one  season,  she  put  out  her  hand  and  patted 
her  shoulder. 

"  You  poor  dear !  "  she  said  sympathetically. 


IV 

AT  four  o'clock,  in  obedience  to  a  telephone  mes 
sage  from  the  office,  Amy  was  in  the  car,  drawn 
up  by  the  subway  station  at  Columbus  Circle,  search 
ing  the  crowd  which  flowed  muddily  up  from  that 
great  underground  tube  for  the  first  glimpse  of  a 
swinging,  rapid  figure.  Her  conscience  did  not  ex 
actly  reproach  her,  for  the  conscience  in  youth,  before 
it  can  enlist  the  services  of  a  rebellious  digestion,  is 
more  of  a  courtier  than  a  mentor.  Yet,  all  the  same, 
she  felt  she  owed  it  some  explanation.  She  had  been 
frightfully  extravagant.  When  two  women  go  shop 
ping  together,  the  devil  begins  to  smile.  The  presence 
of  Fifi  had  incited  her.  She  felt  the  need  of  estab 
lishing  that  shade  of  superiority  which  her  cousin 
denied  her.  She  knew  that  Fifi,  in  common  with  the 
rest  of  her  friends,  considered  that  she  had  thrown 
away  her  worldly  opportunities,  and  she  desired  to 
rather  exaggerate  the  new  independence  which  was 
hers.  After  an  orgy  among  the  counters,  Fifi,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  luncheon  had  been  ordered  at  home, 
had  carried  her  off,  commandeering  two  men  by 
telephone. 

The  rendezvous  had  been  at  Sherry's,  just  begin 
ning  to  fill  up  with  the  return  of  society.  There  were 
fifty  persons  she  knew,  and  as  Fifi  was  a  public  char 
acter,  their  entrance  caused  quite  a  stir.  She  felt  in 
stinctively  the  test  of  this  criticism  and  asked  herself  a 
little  anxiously  how  they  would  judge  her.  In  an 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  31 

instant,  she  was  back  in  the  life  of  the  year  before, 
the  old  chatter  rising  easily  to  her  lips,  eager  for  the 
glances  of  tribute  which  she  could  detect  in  the  crowd. 
She  felt  a  new  vivacity,  and  it  seemed  to  her,  for  the 
first  time  in  months,  that  the  radiance  of  her  youth 
was  returning  to  her  eyes  and  to  her  glowing  cheeks. 
She  forgot  her  perplexities  and  half-expressed  long 
ings.  This  world  welcomed  her  back  by  a  hundred 
solicitous  attentions,  claiming  her  charm  and  her 
beauty.  She  no  longer  had  a  feeling  of  isolation. 

What  was  strange  was  to  be  waiting  for  him. 
When  he  was  absent,  she  could  never  see  him 
distinctly. 

In  the  crowd,  she  saw  the  kind,  ugly  face,  and,  at 
his  powerful,  confident  approach,  she  had  a  swift  feel 
ing  of  gladness  and  delight. 

"  All  right,  Bingham ;  good  time,  but  don't  get 
caught !  "  He  swung  into  his  seat,  and  the  coupe  was 
filled  with  his  virile,  conquering  strength.  "  Kept  you 
waiting  long?  Turn  around,  Mrs.  Yum- Yum;  let's 
see  how  pretty  we  are !  " 

At  the  pride  with  which  he  gave  her  his  favorite 
nickname,  the  little  girl  from  school  began  to  laugh. 
Then  she  remembered. 

"  I  've  been  awfully  extravagant/'  she  said  con 
tritely,  and  the  obnoxious  word  "  extravagant,"  like 
the  terrifying  word  "  duty,"  she  pronounced  in  a  way 
that  made  him  break  into  laughter. 

"  I  make  it;  you  spend  it,"  he  said,  taking  her  hand. 
'  The  best,  and  damn  the  expense !  " 

"  No,  really,  Andrew;  you  should  scold  me.'* 

"Really?" 

:'  Yes,  really,"  she  said,  with  a  mischievous  smile. 
Then  she  added,  serious  once  more,  for  it  shocked  her 


32  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

in  her  sense  of  fitness  that  he  did  not  reprove  her  a 
little,  "If  you  did,  it  would  make  me  feel  loads 
better." 

Andrew  had  already  forgotten  the  incident.  He 
examined  her  with  affectionate  pride  as  his  glance, 
satisfied,  ran  over  the  trappings  of  his  car  and  rested, 
in  final  approval,  on  the  trim  figure  of  Bingham. 
Bingham  was  in  excellent  style.  They  were  at  the 
throat  of  the  great  Queensboro  Bridge,  halted  in  the 
jam  of  traffic.  Other  cars  were  about  them.  He 
estimated  them  with  a  little  righteous  pride  in  his  own 
wife,  his  own  car,  and  his  own  chauffeur.  He  had 
done  it  all,  and  he  feared  no  comparison. 

His  hand  closed  over  hers,  with  the  feeling  that  life 
was  now  happily  settled  and  the  road  clear  ahead. 

"  Fifi  came  in  and  carried  me  off  to  luncheon  at 
Sherry's,"  she  said.  "  Any  number  of  persons  came 
up  to  see  me.  My  head  's  quite  turned  with  compli 
ments.  Do  you  know  a  Mr.  Argesinger  and  a  Mr. 
Devine  —  Wall  Street  men,  friends  of  Fifi  ?  "  She 
hesitated  a  moment,  then  added,  "  They  lunched 
with  us." 

He  looked  at  her  without  the  slightest  shade  of 
jealousy,  overjoyed  at  her  triumph. 

"  Just  what  you  need !  Play  all  you  want ;  nothing 
would  please  me  more." 

As  he  said  these  words,  his  voice  was  so  gentle  that 
a  great  wave  of  tenderness  went  through  her. 

"  How  kind  and  big  he  is !  "  she  thought  to  herself, 
with  a  little  remorse. 

"  What  dresses  have  you  brought  ?  " 
"  The  black,  the  gold,  and  the  cerise." 
He  frowned  at  the  mention  of  this  last,  for,  in  the 
perfect  chivalry  of  his  attitude  toward  women,   he 
was,  by  training,  old-fashioned. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  33 

"  The  cerise,  my  dear,  is  —  I  'm  not  quite  sure. 
The  Dellabarres  are  quite  conventional,  are  n't  they  ?  " 

She  smiled  from  her  superior  knowledge. 

"  I  'm  afraid  you  're  in  for  a  shock.  Chilton  is 
rather  the  riding  set." 

;<  True ;  but  they  are  mostly  families  like  the  Della 
barres  and  Brackens,  who  have  had  money  for  genera 
tions.  They  '11  be  —  a  little  rigid  —  especially  the 
women.  That 's  why  I  would  n't  wear  the  cerise 
gown,  not  just  at  first  —  not  to-night." 

"  But  with  a  scarf,  Andrew ! "  she  exclaimed, 
amused  at  his  naive  conception  of  a  strange  world. 

"  Well,  suppose  we  wait  and  see.  Now  for  some 
bad  news.  I  've  got  to  pass  to-morrow  night  with 
Gunther  on  his  yacht.  The  king  has  summoned  me." 

"  What  —  to-morrow!  Our  first  visit  together!" 
she  cried,  cut  to  the  quick. 

"  But,  Amy,  do  you  know  who  Gunther  is  ?  "  he 
answered,  astonished. 

"  I  don't  care  who  he  is.    He  can  wait." 

She  had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  Gunther's  im 
portance.  To  her  the  blow  was  a  vital  one,  directed 
at  all  her  prerogatives  as  a  wife.  She  withdrew  her 
hand,  turning  toward  the  window  to  hide  the  tears 
which  rose  to  her  eyes. 

"  It 's  something  I  can't  refuse,"  he  said  slowly. 
"  I  must  have  Gunther  for  a  friend.  It  is  a  great 
opportunity  for  me." 

"  Am  I  invited,  too  ?  " 

He  hesitated. 

"  It  is  not  a  pleasure  party.  You  don't  understand. 
Gunther  has  offered  me  a  position  which  would  mean 
we  'd  be  millionaires  in  five  years.  Whether  I  accept 
or  refuse,  I  must  make  him  interested  in  me." 


34  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"Millionaires!  Really?  Then  why  do  you  hesi 
tate  ? "  she  said,  her  chagrin  forgotten  —  for  this 
word  "  millionaire  "  had  to  her  ears  the  charm  of  a 
fairy  tale. 

"  Well,  I  've  been  slaving  for  twenty  years/'  he  said 
slowly.  "  It  would  mean  five  years  more  and  a  lot  of 
it  away  from  New  York  —  and  you." 

She  was  of  a  primitive,  emotional  nature,  quick  to 
every  influence.  Before  his  generosity,  she  answered 
impulsively, 

"  Not  from  me.    Wherever  you  go,  I  go." 

And  in  saying  this,  she  believed  it. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said,  his  frown  disappearing  as  if  by 
magic;  "  you  are  young;  you  're  going  to  enjoy  your 
self.  I  carried  you  off  because  I  was  n't  taking 
chances.  But  you  're  not  going  to  regret  anything 
you  might  have  had.  No,  sirree;  nothing  is  going 
to  make  me  quite  so  happy  as  sitting  back  and  watch 
ing  you  sweep  them  off  their  feet.  The  best  for  you ! 
And  I  shan't  be  jealous  at  all  if  men  admire  you  — 
quite  the  contrary." 

She  was  silent,  profoundly  moved.  In  these  few 
moments,  he  had  come  closer  to  her  than  in  all  the 
months  she  had  known  him. 

"  Yes ;  you  are  right,"  she  said,  with  such  gratitude 
in  her  blue  eyes  that  he  had  never  seen  them  more 
beautiful.  "  Give  me  a  year  or  two,  dear.  I  am  only 
a  girl,  and  it  is  awfully  hard  to  settle  down  and  be 
serious  just  yet.  I  know  that  it  won't  last  —  I  shall 
get  tired  of  it  —  but  just  now  —  I  do  want  to  be  seen, 
admired,  flattered  —  I  do  want  to  play." 

He  laughed  in  his  deep,  hearty  rumble,  a  weight 
lifted  from  his  mind. 

"  Play,"  he  said,  smiling;  "  play  for  both  of  us,  and 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  35 

if  you  want  any  more  money,  just  say  so  and  I  '11 
make  it."  She  turned  to  his  arms  impulsively,  and  to 
each,  in  the  happiness  of  this  new  understanding,  it 
seemed  that  all  problems  of  marriage  were  happily 
resolved.  "  Now  let  me  explain  my  position/'  he  said 
gently,  "  and  wherein  you  can  help  me.  I  have  gotten 
to  the  point  where  I  am  strong  enough  to  need  friends. 
Dellabarre  is  an  old  fogy,  but  he  's  got  property  and 
connections.  Make  him  our  friend.  I  've  gotten  to 
where  I  am  now,  without  having  to  say  '  Thank  you  ' 
to  any  one,  but  now  I  intend  to  use  every  arm  that 
comes  handy.  Make  friends;  make  friends,"  he  said, 
listening  to  his  own  words.  "  You  never  know  when 
the  weakest  hand  can  give  just  that  last  little  push 
that  will  topple  over  the  rock.  You  see,  I  am  at  a 
critical  moment." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  said  anxiously,  for  she 
had  not  the  slightest  knowledge  of  his  business  affairs. 

"  I  am  about  to  be  known  as  a  successful  man. 
When  my  January  report  is  out,  I  shall  have  a  dozen 
enemies  after  my  scalp.  You  don't  understand? 
Here  's  the  situation :  American  business  is  war.  We 
are  not  shopkeepers,  piling  up  reserves  in  our  safes. 
We  are  speculators,  adventurers,  fighters,  and  we  fight 
not  for  avarice  but  for  the  pure  joy  of  combat.  You 
never  see  any  such  motto  as  '  Live  and  let  live  J  hung 
up  in  an  American  office.  Oh,  no!  If  you  come  up 
out  of  the  crowd,  you  've  got  either  to  impose  yourself 
or  be  crushed.  Hit  them  first!  This  is  where  I  am." 

"  But  how  can  they  hurt  you?  " 

"If  they  can't  break  me,  or  buy  me,  or  bring  me 
into  the  family  within  five  years,  I  shall  absorb  them. 
It  '11  be  a  fight  to  the  finish.  They  can't  touch  me  in 
side  my  own  walls.  They  can't  beat  my  organization 


36  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

or  buy  my  lieutenants.  Outside,  it 's  different  —  raw 
materials,  transportation,  and  credit.  But  don't 
worry ;  I  am  ready.  My  alliances  are  made.  That 's 
why  Gunther  must  be  my  friend." 

"  But  you  are  going  to  refuse  ?  " 

"  I  'm  going  to  be  cleverer  than  that.  I  am  going 
to  make  him  refuse  for  me,"  he  said,  smiling.  (He 
leaned  forward,  and  taking  the  trumpet,  cried  cheer 
ily,  "  To  the  right,  Bingham,  and  the  straight  road 
ahead.")  "So  we  understand  each  other.  You're 
to  play  for  both  of  us.  It 's  the  time  of  life  to  dance 
and  to  be  extravagant.  Do  so  to  your  heart's  content." 

"  You  need  never  have  any  fear." 

"  Hush,"  he  said  gravely,  as  though  the  very 
thought  were  treason. 

She  had  no  fear  herself.  The  world  was  an  im 
material  thing,  and  pleasure  had  no  form  to  her  ardent 
imagination  —  least  of  all  a  masculine  form.  A  feel 
ing  of  great  content  came  over  her,  and,  smiling,  she 
lifted  his  hand  to  her  lips. 

"  How  he  loves  me !  "  she  thought. 

The  dusk  had  been  creeping  in  as  they  had  flown 
over  the  smooth  macadam  roads  crowded  with  auto 
mobiles.  The  air  had  become  moist  and  chill  with 
the  threat  of  rain  which  hung  in  the  black  drapery 
of  the  autumn  clouds.  Lights  had  begun  to  pop  out 
of  the  darkness,  postern  lights  and  home  lights,  and 
in  the  turning  of  the  road  she  caught  flashes  of  cosy 
interiors  —  families  gathered  at  the  supper  table, 
mothers  with  children. 

The  car  slowed  down.  A  flaring  light  showed  the 
entrance  to  the  drive.  A  child  ran  out  to  swing  a  gate. 
Ahead,  at  the  end  of  the  road,  which  lost  itself  in  a 
tunnel  of  shadows  under  mysterious  trees,  the  house 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  37 

lights  were  glowing,  afloat  on  the  night.  She  leaned 
forward  eagerly,  gay  with  anticipation,  free  now  to 
seek  without  a  qualm  all  the  youth  and  pleasure  ahead 
under  the  promise  of  the  lights  which  fluttered  at  the 
end  of  the  deep  black  way. 

There  was  no  one  to  meet  them  as  they  descended, 
and  the  great  house  seemed  strangely  dark  and  in 
hospitable.  She  felt  a  splash  of  raindrops  as  she 
hurried  into  the  vestibule.  The  butler,  a  family  watch 
dog,  eyed  them  with  surprise  and  indecision,  and  re 
ceiving  their  names,  departed. 

"  You  've  made  no  mistake  in  the  day?  "  she  said, 
surprised,  to  her  husband. 

"  No." 

At  the  end  of  a  long  wait,  a  footman  hastened  to 
throw  on  the  lights,  and  suddenly  brilliant  vistas  of 
halls  and  salons  arose  before  their  eyes.  The  butler 
returned  precipitately,  followed  by  a  rapid,  noiseless 
person,  who  introduced  herself  as  Miss  Bane,  the 
housekeeper,  and  made  nervous  excuses  for  their 
strange  reception.  Underneath  all  this  was  such  a 
feeling  of  agitation  and  confusion  that  Mrs.  Forrester, 
her  curiosity  awakened,  glanced  at  her  husband.  But 
Andrew  perceived  nothing.  He  was  in  admiration 
before  the  simple  elegance  of  the  baronial  entrance, 
noting  every  detail,  registering  each  effect  which 
pleased  him,  making  mental  comparisons,  already 
perceiving  new  worlds  to  attain. 


OINCE  the  morning,  the  Dellabarre  household  had 
^  been  in  an  uproar,  the  guests  uncomfortably  con 
scious  of  eavesdropping,  Mr.  Dellabarre  sulking,  the 
children  neglected,  while  Miss  Bane  ran  to  the  tele 
phone  to  command  or  countermand  the  car,  postpone 
the  dinner,  and  send  frantic  inquiries  for  Mrs.  Clove, 
Mrs.  Dellabarre's  mother,  who  was  sorely  needed  to 
restore  the  peace. 

While  the  servants  were  in  a  panic  for  the  security 
of  their  winter  positions ;  while  the  guests  —  Mrs. 
Lightbody,  young  Dawson,  and  Laracy  —  had  fled  to 
the  country  club  for  lunch;  while  the  children  had 
covered  themselves  with  grease  at  the  garage  and 
were  bawling  at  the  top  of  their  lungs;  while  Mr. 
Dellabarre  was  savagely  pacing  his  library  with  a  long 
ing  to  smash  the  mantel  ornaments,  Irma  Dellabarre, 
quietly  ensconced  on  a  Recamier  chaise  longue,  by  the 
flowery  window  of  her  little  morning  room,  was  solic 
itously  brushing  the  coat  of  Mon  Amour,  the  Pekinese. 

At  four  o'clock,  her  mother  arrived  like  a  gust  of 
wind  that  sets  every  door  in  the  house  to  banging. 
Though  Mrs.  Clove  experienced  not  the  slightest 
anxiety  at  these  periodic  summons,  she  came  all  in  a 
flutter,  prepared  to  stretch  her  visit  to  agreeable  pro 
portions  by  agreeing  both  with  her  daughter,  whom 
she  idolized,  and  with  her  son-in-law  —  first,  because 
she  was  sure  he  would  be  in  the  right,  and,  second, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  39 

because  she  had  that  sense  of  gratitude  which  is  the 
lively  looking-forvvard  to  favors  to  come. 

"  My  poor  darling,"  she  cried,  after  the  first  sympa 
thetic  embrace,  "  I  was  afraid  I  'd  find  you  in  tears !  " 

"  I  ?  No ;  why  should  I  ?  "  said  Irma,  rising  to  put 
Mon  Amour  in  his  pink  cradle.  Whatever  her  femi 
nine  subterfuges,  she  never  deceived  herself  in  her 
domestic  relations.  "  I  suppose  I  've  been  stupid 
somehow ;  but,  Lord,  I  can't  imagine  where !  " 

"  Well,  dear,  who  is  it  this  time?  "  said  Mrs.  Clove, 
drawing  off  her  gloves.  From  behind  she  had  the 
figure  of  sixteen.  She  dressed  in  baby  pinks  and 
blues,  and  might  have  passed  for  the  early  thirties  — 
that  custom-made  age,  toward  which  debutantes  and 
grandmothers  now  incline. 

"  Heavens,  if  he  'd  only  say!  But  you  know  Rudy. 
He  's  capable  of  sulking  a  week  before  I  can  get  it 
out  of  him." 

Mrs.  Clove,  reassured,  looked  at  her  daughter  with 
the  keenness  of  one  who  avoided  expressing  her 
thoughts  in  words. 

"  No;  I  assure  you,"  said  Irma,  in  response  to  the 
unspoken  question.  "  This  time,  I  have  n't  the  slight 
est  idea  of  whom  he  's  jealous." 

The  mother,  who  had  come  to  that  age  when  a  com 
pensating  Providence  replaces  the  distractions  of 
youth  by  the  arrival  of  interesting  ailments,  had  a 
private  conviction  that  these  temperamental  outbursts 
had  a  bilious  origin,  but  as  this  extreme  view  had 
found  no  favor,  she  contented  herself  with  an  admir 
ing  glance. 

"  My  darling  child,  how  can  he  be  angry  at  anything 
so  lovely  as  you  are  ?  " 

Irma  smiled.     She  adored  compliments,  even  from 


40  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

her  own  mother.  She  had  a  sense  of  the  scenic,  and 
even  in  her  own  bedroom,  kept  in  the  picture.  Her 
charm  was  of  art  rather  than  from  natural  gift,  for 
while  her  body  was  slender  and  graceful,  her  head, 
which  was  Latin,  was  striking,  though  the  boldness  of 
her  forehead  was  softened  by  the  deep  black  hair 
which  had  been  directed  in  curling  abundance  about 
the  temples.  Her  eyebrows  were  bold;  her  nose  too 
aquiline,  but  her  teeth  shone  brilliantly  against  the 
duskiness  of  her  complexion  and  the  brilliant  rouge  of 
her  lips.  What  was  really  striking  were  the  eyes,  which 
were  of  a  thin  gray,  so  clear  and  so  light,  that  they 
gave  the  effect  of  being  as  transparent  as  the  negligee 
which  floated  lightly  about  her  in  a  cloud  of  costly  old 
lace  which  had  cost  the  price  of  a  season's  wardrobe. 

"  My  dear  mother,"  she  said  calmly.  "  You  don't 
know  Rudy.  Appreciate  what  he  's  got  ?  Why,  he 
would  be  delighted  if  I  'd  go  in  flannel  wrappers  and 
braid  my  hair  like  a  dowdy  little  Hausfrau.  I  don't 
see  how  I  stand  it.  He  's  getting  more  and  more 
impossible." 

Mrs.  Clove,  with  the  memory  of  twenty  lean  years 
in  genteel  boarding  houses,  appreciated  what  sacrifices 
her  daughter  had  been  called  upon  to  make. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,"  she  said,  patting  her  hand 
with  sympathy. 

Irma  raised  her  eyebrows. 

"  Good  heavens,  mother,  there 's  nothing  to  tell ! 
He  's  been  making  a  scene  about  everything  but  the 
real  reason."  She  hesitated  and  added,  "  He  began 
by  giving  up  his  hunting  trip." 

Mrs.  Clove  did  not  disguise  her  surprise.  For  Mr. 
Dellabarre  to  renounce  his  semiannual  outing  was  a 
fact  of  revolutionary  importance. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  41 

"  As  serious  as  that?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  It 's  a  man,  of  course  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"  And  you  really  have  no  idea  ?  " 

"  No,  no." 

The  second  negative  and  the  impatient  shrug  which 
accompanied  it  confirmed  Mrs.  Clove  in  her  suspi 
cions.  She  rose  and  went  down  to  the  den.  Mr. 
Dellabarre  was  walking  back  and  forth  before  the  fire 
place  with  such  precise  little  steps  that  one  could  al 
most  imagine  the  creaking  of  the  joints. 

"  Ah,  there  you  are!  "  he  said,  with  a  sudden  treble 
rise  in  his  weak  voice,  but,  correcting  himself,  he 
added  ceremoniously,  "  How  do  you  do  ?  I  am  very 
glad  indeed  to  see  you." 

He  gave  his  hand  limply  as  though  he  were  making 
her  a  present  of  it,  and  suddenly  reddened  with  em 
barrassment,  for  his  pride  was  excessive,  and  he  suf 
fered  during  these  scenes  which  his  timidity  prolonged. 

He  was  a  gray,  perpendicular  little  man,  passing 
fifty,  with  a  short,  stubby  nose,  overhanging  eyebrows, 
and  a  gray,  drooping  mustache,  a  drooping  glance, 
and  a  voice  which  drooped  into  whispers.  He  held 
himself  stiffly,  and  his  arms  and  legs  moved  on  hinges. 
He  dressed  in  a  stiff  gray  cutaway,  which  appeared 
newly  starched,  square-toed  boots,  and  a  made-up  tie 
of  pepper  and  salt,  pierced  by  a  fat  cameo  pin.  Eccen 
tric,  old-fashioned  and  furtively  shy,  there  was  still  a 
precise  dignity  about  him,  which  commanded  respect, 
even  from  the  crowd  of  irreverent  youngsters  who 
danced,  gambled,  and  paid  their  court  to  his  wife. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,  my  dear  Rudolph,"  said  Mrs. 
Clove,  with  the  utmost  sympathy.  She  glanced  at  the 


42  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

table  which  was  littered  with  stray  sheets  of  stamps 
which  he  had  been  sorting  —  a  sure  sign  of  a  tempest. 
"  What  has  that  poor  child  been  doing  now?  " 

Mr.  Dellabarre  instantly  began  to  defend  his  wife. 

"  It 's  my  fault.  It 's  your  fault  —  yes,  of  course 
it 's  your  fault,"  he  said  in  jerky  sentences,  after  a 
glance  at  the  door.  "  It 's  the  fault  of  American  edu 
cation,  of  the  ridiculous  way  we  permit  young  girls 
to  be  brought  up.  Irma  is  what  we  have  made  her. 
Yes ;  but  that  does  n't  help  any,  and  that  is  n't  the 
point,"  he  added,  suddenly  perceiving  where  this 
would  lead  him.  "  She  has  her  side,  but  I  have  my 
side,  too,  and  I  tell  you  now  I  am  going  to  come  to  a 
decision." 

This  was  said  in  rising  sentences,  while  he  continued 
his  precise  and  mechanical  stepping  off  of  the  carpet, 
for  he  experienced  the  need  of  heating  up  his  courage. 
In  all  this,  there  was  nothing  new.  So  Mrs.  Clove 
contented  herself  with  a  sympathetic  sigh  and  the 
remark, 

"  It  is  very  sad." 

"  What  do  I  count  for  in  my  own  house  ?  "  con 
tinued  Mr.  Dellabarre,  in  a  thin  complaint.  "  .Noth 
ing!  Do  you  suppose  any  one  ever  comes  here  as  my 
friend?" 

;*  You  mean,  my  dear  Rudolph,  what  does  Irma 
bring  to  you  in  your  marriage  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Clove, 
who  knew  that,  so  long  as  he  generalized,  they  would 
get  nowhere. 

"  Exactly,"  said  Mr.  Dellabarre,  for  unless  he  had 
worked  himself  up  into  a  passion,  his  pride  made  him 
hesitate  before  taking  a  third  into  his  confidence. 

"  But  she  is  no  different  from  others  of  her  set,  is 
she?"  continued  Mrs.  Clove. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  43 

"  The  modern  wife  is  a  monster,"  said  Mr.  Della- 
barre  angrily.  "  Do  you  suppose  Irma  even  knows 
the  names  of  her  own  servants?  Do  you?  I  'm  not 
sure  she  knows  the  names  of  her  own  children,  for 
all  she  sees  of  them." 

"  Now,  Rudolph,"  said  Mrs.  Clove,  lifting  a  chubby 
hand  in  protest. 

"  You  don't  believe  it  ?  Doris  coughed  all  last  night. 
Do  you  think  Irma  has  even  heard  about  it?  She 
is  n't  a  mother.  She  is  n't  a  wife.  She  is  n't  a  house 
keeper.  What  does  she  do?  She  amuses  herself. 
That  is  all  she  thinks  of  from  morning  to  night,  and 
that  is  all  any  of  them  think  of !  Well,  I  'm  going  to 
come  to  some  decision." 

Mrs.  Clove  saw  that  he  had  no  intention  of  being 
specific. 

"  I  will  speak  to  Irma,"  she  said,  in  a  tone  of  deci 
sion,  wondering  if  her  daughter  had  given  him  any 
real  cause  for  jealousy.  "  Poor  dear,  she  is  dreadfully 
upset ! " 

"  She  should  be." 

"  But  has  anything  happened  —  anything  special  ?  " 

"  What !    Don't  you  think  that  is  enough  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Rudolph,  of  course  I  do ! "  she  said 
hastily,  starting  for  the  door.  "  I  will  talk  at  once 
with  Irma.  She  certainly  should  pay  more  attention 
to  the  children.  You  should  ask  more  of  her.  You 
should  insist !  But,  then  —  you  said  it  yourself  — 
it 's  the  life  of  the  younger  generation." 

"  Well,  I  've  made  up  my  mind,"  said  Mr.  Della- 
barre  rapidly,  "  and  I  'm  going  to  make  a  decision." 

Mrs.  Clove  knew  her  daughter  and  her  inherent 
appetite  for  admiration,  but  she  judged  her  incapable 
of  going  further  than  a  light  flirtation,  because  she 


44  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

understood  the  modern  coquette's  need  of  multiplicity 
in  her  adorers. 

"  Well  ? "  said  Irma,  without  looking  up  from  a 
Russian  novel. 

"  He  's  very  excitable." 

"  I  see  I  shall  have  to  go  down,"  said  Irma,  who 
perceived  that  her  mother  had  learned  nothing.  She 
rose.  "  It  is  really  too  humiliating.  Kitty  Lightbody 
is  here,  and  will  tell  it  all  over  New  York.  I  must 
bring  it  to  a  head  —  a  violent  scene,  that 's  the  only 
way,"  she  concluded,  rearranging  her  hair  in  the 
mirror. 

"  But  you  must  have  a  suspicion  ?  " 

"Of  whom  he  is  jealous?  My  dear  mother,  it 
might  be  any  one  of  twenty  men.  No  one  could  be 
more  careful  than  I.  Just  look  how  people  talk  about 
Kitty  and  Gladys  Challoner.  But  a  lot  of  good  it 
does  me.  If  I  gave  him  any  reason  —  "  She  paused, 
and  the  need  of  preparing  her  attitude  caused  her  to 
feel  a  little  real  indignation,  as  she  continued :  "  Do 
you  think  my  life  is  an  easy  one?  Do  you  think  it 
is  n't  humiliating  to  have  your  husband  fuddled 
every  night  regularly  at  six  o'clock?  Do  I  reproach 
him?  Do  I  make  scenes  when  he  sits  at  the  dinner 
table  staring  at  his  place  and  has  to  be  helped  into 
the  library  ?  "  She  shrugged  her  shoulders,  glanced 
at  the  mirror,  rectified  the  line  of  her  negligee  and 
tripped  down  to  the  library. 

"  My  dear  Rudolph,  we  must  come  somewhere," 
she  said  quietly,  "  otherwise,  I  am  determined  to  coun 
termand  the  dinner  and  make  my  excuses  to  Kitty  and 
the  boys.  What  exactly  and  precisely  do  you  reproach 
me  with  this  time  ?  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  45 

Mr.  Dellabarre  came  to  a  full  stop  opposite  his  wife. 
About  her  husband  there  seemed  to  be  always  an  im 
passable  iron  grating  which  recalled  to  her  that  feeling 
of  terror  she  had  experienced  when,  in  her  days  of 
poverty,  she  had  faced  the  dread  figure  of  the  cashier. 

"  You  know  very  well,"  he  said  suddenly. 

"  I  know  what  you  have  been  saying  to  me  all  morn 
ing  and  what  you  've  been  repeating  to  mother.  Is 
that  all?" 

"  All !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Dellabarre,  who,  fired  anew, 
repeated  again  his  theories  about  the  upbringing  of 
the  modern  woman.  Mrs.  Dellabarre  arranged  her 
self  patiently  in  an  armchair  and  waited  until  the  sub 
ject  should  have  exhausted  itself.  At  the  end  of  ten 
minutes,  she  rose  and  rang  for  Miss  Bane. 

"  Miss  Bane,  kindly  call  up  Mrs.  Challoner,  the 
Brackens,  and  the  Ponsivals.  Inform  them  that  I  am 
obliged  to  countermand  the  dinner  to-night.  Say 
that  we  are  afraid  Doris  has  the  measles.  Mr.  Della 
barre  thinks  it  unwise  to  expose  others.  That  is  all." 

Miss  Bane,  who  knew  enough  to  wait  further  con 
firmation,  withdrew. 

"  Now,  my  dear,  every  one  will  know  that  we  have 
been  quarreling,"  she  said  quietly.  To  her  surprise, 
her  husband  did  not  flinch,  despite  the  horror  she 
knew  he  had  of  public  gossip.  She  determined,  there 
fore,  to  force  the  issue. 

"  My  dear  Rudolph,  you  may  save  yourself  the 
pains.  I  know  all  this  by  memory.  Your  description 
of  me  is  exact.  I  am  a  modern  wife,  if  you  will,  the 
wife  of  a  rich  man.  I  don't  cook;  I  don't  darn  the 
children's  socks ;  I  don't  haggle  over  the  butcher's  bill 
or  the  price  of  eggs.  All  this  is  true.  But  why  did 
you  marry  me  ?  " 


46  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

As  she  intended,  this  threw  him  into  such  a  state 
of  fury  that  he  blurted  out  what  most  husbands  sus 
pect  but  which  they  do  well  not  to  reveal  in  the  first 
years  of  matrimonial  discussion. 

"  Marry  you  ?  "  he  cried.  "  You  know  very  well  I 
married  you  because  you  wanted  me  to." 

She  saw  the  sudden  flare-up  of  jealousy  in  the 
strange  shut-in  nature  of  the  man  who  still  loved  her. 
She  had  a  moment  of  pity,  for  she  had  a  kind  heart 
and  often  returned  to  those  good  resolutions  she  had 
formed  at  the  altar,  when  she  had  passed  from  the 
shadow  of  scheming  and  privation  into  the  new  world 
of  gratification  and  power.  But  immediately  angered 
by  the  justice  of  his  remark,  she  rang  imperiously  and 
gave  orders  to  pack  her  trunk  on  the  instant. 

"  That  is  going  too  far,"  she  said  coldly.  "  You  are 
quite  sober,  and  you  know  what  you  are  saying.  I 
shall  leave  here  at  once,  and  shall  stay  away  until  you 
come  to  your  senses.  The  situation  is  intolerable." 

"  It  is  intolerable,"  he  said,  and  the  hand  which  he 
held  rigidly  before  him  began  to  shake,  as  she  had 
never  seen  it  do  before.  "  I  quite  agree  with  you  — 
you  had  better  go  and  come  to  your  senses !  " 

"  What !  He  is  going  to  let  me  go  without  a  word 
of  protest,"  she  thought,  frightened  for  the  first  time 
in  his  presence.  She  had  an  uneasy  feeling  that  what 
she  was  facing  was  not  a  spasmodic  outburst  but  a 
definite  rebellion.  She  turned  and  came  back. 

"  I  won't  discuss  your  last  insult.  You  are,  at  least, 
a  gentleman,  and  you  will  realize  yourself  the  indeli 
cacy  of  such  a  remark.  Now,  my  dear  Rudolph,  if 
you  really  wished  the  kind  of  fireside  paragon  that 
you  describe,  you  could  easily  have  had  one.  There 
are  thousands  of  them.  If  you  did  n't,  it  is  because 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  47 

you  wanted  just  what  you  have  got,  a  wife  of  whom 
you  could  be  proud,  a  wife  to  give  you  a  brilliant  home, 
whom  you  would  carry  off  from  other  men,  a  wife 
who  would  bring  you  youth  and  charm  —  a  wife,  in  a 
word,  to  decorate  your  house.  So  much  for  that. 
Whatever  else  you  can  accuse  me  of,  I  have  never 
compromised  the  dignity  of  your  name.  My  name 
has  never  been  handed  about,  as  some  other  wives  we 
know.  I  've  taken  the  greatest  care  that  if  men  paid 
me  attention  —  and  you'd  be  the  first  to  regret  it  if 
they  did  n't  —  that  no  special  one  should  ever  be  dis 
tinguished.  This,  however,  you  don't  appreciate." 

In  hearing  her  speak  thus,  with  all  the  charm  and 
grace  which  she  knew  how  to  convey  to  her  words,  it 
seemed  to  him  that  he  was  utterly  wrong.  He  stam 
mered  out: 

"  What  do  I  care  about  that  ?  You  can  have  a  hun 
dred  men  about  you." 

"  Which  means  it 's  only  one  person  you  object  to," 
said  Irma  instantly.  "  In  other  words,  all  these  dia 
tribes  are  just  subterfuges.  You  are  afraid  to  say 
what  you  think,  because  you  know  that  it  will  sound 
ridiculous.  You  are  jealous  again  of  some  one  man." 
He  looked  at  her  and  then  down  at  the  floor.  "  Well, 
who  is  it  ?  "  she  asked  triumphantly,  feeling  that  she 
had  regained  her  old  supremacy. 

"  You  know  very  well." 

She  knew,  but  to  name  him  would  give  the  appear 
ance  of  confession.  At  the  bottom,  she  knew  what 
he  himself  did  not  realize  —  that  the  trouble  lay 
deeper,  in  the  impossibility  of  simulating  the  love  he 
craved. 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea,"  she  said  quietly, 
because  in  her  certainty  of  victory  she  always  felt  a 


48  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

little  compassion,  and  because  she  was  impatient  to 
end  this  scene  which  interfered  with  her  projects  of 
the  evening.  "  Well,  who  is  it  this  time  ?  Is  it  Tody 
Dawson  or  Jap  Laracy  ?  Nothing  would  surprise  me. 
It  once  was  Mr.  Challoner —  Are  you  still  jealous 
of  him  —  or  Dwight  Harcourt  or  Steve  Lewis  ?  " 

"No;  it's  not!"  Suddenly  he  turned  and,  fixing 
her  with  his  weak  eyes  that  all  at  once  gathered  points 
of  anger,  he  cried,  "  I  won't  have  you  talked  about 
with  Monte  Bracken." 

"  Monte !  My  dear  Rudy,  you  are  insane !  "  she 
exclaimed,  in  excellent  bewilderment.  "  A  man  I 
have  n't  seen  for  years  until  last  month,  whom  I  have 
met  perhaps  six  times.  No,  that 's  too  absurd !  " 

"  Exactly,  Monte  Bracken !  "  he  said,  coming  close 
to  her,  his  face  disfigured  with  jealousy.  "  The  rest  I 
don't  care  about.  But  Bracken  I  bar.  The  rest  are 
nothing  to  you,  but  Bracken  you  cared  for,  and  he 
cared  for  you."  All  at  once  his  hand,  which  was 
trembling  with  emotion,  closed  over  her  arm,  and  she 
felt  the  sharp  pinch  of  his  fingers.  "  Do  you  under 
stand  now  ?  —  I  forbid  your  coupling  your  name  with 
Monte  Bracken's.  I  forbid  it !  " 

He  had  never  before  laid  his  hand  on  her.  It  was 
the  first  time  she  had  seen  him  completely  given  over 
to  his  passion.  Despite  herself,  she  felt  her  face  go 
red  as  though,  before  this  revelation  of  her  husband, 
she  had  experienced  a  sudden  guilt. 

A  knock  broke  in  on  the  tension  of  their  attitudes. 
She  drew  away  hastily. 

"  Well,  who  is  it  ?  "  said  Mr.  Dellabarre,  his  voice 
still  on  the  pitch  of  excitement. 

"  Miss  Bane,  sir." 

He  glanced  at  his  wife  nervously,  fingered  the  but- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  49 

tons  of  his  coat,  drew  a  long  breath,  and  said  im 
patiently, 

"  Well,  why  don't  you  come  in,  then  ?  " 

The  door  opened  half-way. 

"  Please,  Madame,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forrester  have 
just  arrived  —  what  shall  I  do?  " 

Mr.  Dellabarre  scowled,  hesitated  and  looked  to  his 
wife,  in  utter  perplexity. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing-  to  do,"  she  said  quietly, 
seizing  the  providential  opportunity.  "  Mr.  Della 
barre  will  go  down  and  explain  about  Doris.  You 
will  have  to  send  them  away  somehow." 

"  No,  no  —  we  can't  do  that,"  said  Mr.  Dellabarre 
hastily,  shrinking  at  the  thought,  for  once  his  anger 
had  shot  up,  it  quickly  subsided.  "  Wait  a  moment, 
Miss  Bane  —  wait  a  moment,  wait  a  moment  outside. 
It 's  annoying,  very  annoying,  but  we  can't  send  them 
away." 

He  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the  room  in  his  stiff 
perpendicular  way,  while  Irma  watched  him  from  the 
corner  of  her  eye.  To  her,  it  was  a  revelation.  What 
he  had  done  in  an  access  of  jealousy  she  forgave,  as 
all  women  forgive  such  tributes.  In  the  emptiness  of 
her  own  sentimental  experience,  it  even  gave  her  a 
thrill  to  realize  that  the  man  who  disposed  of  her  could 
love  her  to  the  point  of  doing  her  harm. 

"  All  the  same,  he  looked  at  me  as  though  he  wanted 
to  kill  me,"  she  said,  staring  at  him. 

All  at  once  he  turned, 

"  Well,  now  what 's  to  be  done,  Irma  ?  "  he  said 
petulantly,  looking  to  her  for  assistance.  He  hesitated 
a  moment.  '  You  know  we  can't  send  them  away. 
That  is  not  possible.  That  is  n't  done !  " 

"  No ;  that  is  n't  done,  and  other  things  are  n't  done, 
either,"  she  said  sternly. 


50  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

He  fidgeted  back  and  forth,  seeking  some  com 
promise,  and  finding  it  difficult. 

"  Are  n't  you  ashamed  of  yourself  ?  "  she  said,  shak 
ing  her  head  and  smiling. 

"  Please  treat  as  serious  what  I  've  said,"  he  said 
sullenly,  his  glance  traveling  along  the  carpet.  "  I 
know  very  well  I  can't  make  you  love  me.  You  never 
have.  Put  that  aside  —  yes,  put  that  aside.  You 
can  go  your  way  —  up  to  a  certain  point  —  but  be 
careful,  Irma,  be  very  careful." 

For  a  moment  his  eyes  rose  to  hers,  and  the  sudden 
leap  of  suffering  and  passion  she  saw  there  brought 
her  for  the  first  time  in  her  easy,  superficial  existence, 
a  real  emotion  —  a  fear  —  a  genuine  fear  of  her 
husband. 


VI 


MEANWHILE  Mrs.  Lightbody  with  the  boys,  in 
company  with  the  two  Miss  Teakes  who  had 
returned  with  them  for  tea,  were  amusing  themselves 
in  the  great  baronial  sitting  room  during  the  continued 
absence  of  their  hostess. 

"  What  can  we  do?  "  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  a  plump, 
rolling  blond  of  resolute  youthfulness,  who  was  in 
constant  state  of  anxiety  before  the  pursuing  problem 
of  being  amused.  "  Let 's  cut  in  for  a  hand  of  bridge." 

".No,  Kitty,  dear,"  said  Tody  Dawson  imperti 
nently;  "  I  will  dance  with  you,  I  will  amuse  you  in 
any  other  way,  but  I  will  not  play  bridge  with  you  — 
you  are  entirely  too  expensive  —  and  I  need  the 
money." 

Laracy,  who  was  at  the  piano,  rattling  up  and  down 
the  keys,  emerged  from  behind  the  keyboard :  a  podgy, 
placid,  smiling,  flat-faced  figure,  affecting  tight  check 
trousers,  glowing  socks,  and  fancy  waistcoats. 

"  Did  Kitty  propose  bridge  again  ?  "  he  said,  with 
equal  impertinence,  referring  to  some  disaster  of  the 
night  before.  "  She  should  be  stood  in  a  corner." 

"  You  funny,  odd  boy !  You  know  I  don't  play 
half  badly  now." 

"  Not  half  badly,  entirely  so,"  said  Laracy.  "  Well, 
Tody,  if  we  've  got  to  amuse  her,  better  to  keep  her 
dancing." 

''  Yes,  that  keeps  her  out  of  breath,"  said  Dawson, 
getting  up  with  the  air  of  a  martyr.  He  was  a  sky- 
scraping  type  of  youth,  with  long  face  and  rising 


52  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

yellow  hair  which,  after  four  years  of  college  educa 
tion,  flowed  back  without  a  flurry  from  the  untroubled 
calm  of  his  well-pleased  expression  —  a  beau  ideal  of 
that  tailorable  figure  which  advertising  artists  depict 
in  heroic  postures,  resting  on  tennis  rackets  or  golf 
sticks. 

"  How  about  thumb-wrestling?  " 

"  Oh,  I  dote  on  that!"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  clap 
ping  her  hands  and,  turning  to  the  colorless  and  im 
passive  Miss  Teakes,  she  explained,  in  excited  phrases, 
the  principles  of  this  latest  parlor  trick.  "  My  dear, 
he  's  simply  wonderful ;  he  can  wrestle  you  with  one 
hand  and  me  with  another,  blindfolded,  and  beat  us 
both.  It 's  excruciatingly  funny." 

"  T.  Y.  K.,"  said  Dawson,  bowing,  and  meaning,  in 
the  abbreviating  trick  of  the  day,  "  Thanking  you 
kindly." 

"  Saying  which,  Lord  Ronald  inclined  his  noble 
brow  and  suffered  his  beautiful  violet  eyes  to  be  ban 
daged,"  said  Laracy,  drawing  forth  a  red-and-yellow 
handkerchief  amid  the  titters  of  an  appreciative 
audience. 

Dawson  and  Laracy  belonged  to  that  new  variety 
of  household  pet  which  supplements  the  absence  of 
hard-worked  husbands  in  society.  A  woman  of 
fashion  counts  from  two  to  ten  of  the  variety  in  her 
train,  who  fetch  and  carry,  run  small  errands,  adore 
her  in  a  public,  harmless  way,  accompany  her  to  the 
theater  or  opera,  surround  her  at  the  dansants  and 
invent  a  hundred  amusing  tricks  to  save  her  from  the 
necessity  of  reading  and  other  forms  of  boredom. 
Wise  in  their  generation,  they  seldom  make  blunders, 
knowing  that  they  are  admitted  to  intimacy  only  on 
the  basis  of  absolute  docility,  and  acquiring  the  knowl- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  53 

edge  of  worldly  values,  they  wait  patiently  under  such 
patronage  the  opportunities  of  what  is  called  a  suc 
cessful  marriage.  Dawson  and  Laracy  were  unusually 
gifted.  They  played  in  masterly  fashion  all  games  of 
chance  where  a  friendly  dollar  could  be  sought.  They 
formed  a  team,  which  imitated  the  latest  comic-opera 
favorites.  They  spoke  a  jargon  of  their  own.  They 
danced  like  professional  dancers,  with  really  the  most 
remarkable  agility,  and,  from  morning  to  night,  kept 
up  a  running  patter  of  story,  anecdote,  repartee,  and 
picturesque  slang  which  made  easy  the  task  of  the 
most  desperate  hostess. 

About  five  o'clock,  the  older  men  began  to  return 
from  polo  practice.  Tea  at  the  Dellabarre's  was  an 
institution  in  Chilton  society,  which,  like  many  similar 
societies,  was  formed  on  feudal  lines,  congregating 
around  one  or  two  established  families,  with  their 
castles,  their  retainers,  and  their  adherents  who,  by 
some  mystery  of  hidden  economy,  attached  themselves 
to  the  leaders,  imitated  their  luxuries,  and  scrambled 
desperately  to  marry  their  children  advantageously 
before  the  impending  day  of  accounting  arrived. 

By  the  time  the  Forresters  had  unpacked  and  de 
scended,  the  great  living  room  had  filled  up  with  casual 
guests,  a  few  of  the  men  in  riding  breeches,  the  women 
in  gaily-colored  sweaters  and  striped  skirts.  From  the 
landing  of  the  winding  stair,  Amy  looked  down  on 
the  great  vaulted  room,  paneled  in  brown,  with  pleas 
ant  regions  of  shadows  and  lights,  and,  at  the  end,  a 
great  fireplace  with  lighted  logs.  A  group  was  gath 
ered  about  a  card  table,  another  about  the  shiny  de 
canters,  while  Tody  Dawson,  thin  and  active,  was 
pirouetting,  his  arms  lightly  in  the  air,  exaggerating 
the  bend  of  his  shoulders  as  he  turned  in  saucers.  A 


54  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

group  watched  this  demonstration  of  the  newest  step 
with  the  solemnity  of  a  religious  contemplation. 
Somewhere  in  the  obscurity  of  the  deep  baronial  living 
room,  Laracy  was  pounding  out  the  rhythmic  measure 
with  youthful  enthusiasm.  The  music  ended  with  a 
crash,  and  at  the  charming  appearance  of  Amy  at  the 
balustrade,  there  was  a  sudden  hush  of  curiosity. 

What  the  young  d'Artagnan  experienced  at  his  first 
introduction  into  the  brilliant  court  of  the  Hotel  de 
Treville,  Amy  Forrester  felt  at  this  sudden  silence 
which  was  like  the  rolling-up  of  a  curtain.  The  new 
world  to  conquer,  her  world,  lay  below.  She  felt  a 
quickening  of  all  her  instincts,  transforming  her  into 
a  different  and  public  self.  At  the  same  moment,  she 
realized  that  she  was  no  longer  alone  but  an  integral 
part  of  the  man  who  followed  at  her  back.  Andrew, 
too,  was  about  to  be  judged,  and  by  a  judgment  with 
out  the  slightest  mercy,  that  accepted  only  what  it 
could  not  destroy.  The  thought  of  her  husband  threw 
her  into  a  sudden  timidity,  and  this  involuntary  mod 
esty  not  only  was  becoming  to  her  but  conciliated  the 
good  will  of  her  hostess. 

In  a  group  of  men,  who  were  gathered,  glass  in 
hand,  at  a  serving  table,  Mrs.  Dellabarre  was  standing 
with  her  hand  drawn  through  her  husband's  arm,  in 
that  punctilious  public  advertisement  of  her  marital 
felicity  which  she  never  neglected  and  which  she  used 
as  a  whip  over  the  heads  of  her  admirers,  as  a  sort  of 
warning  of  the  limitations  she  imposed  on  their  adora 
tion.  She  had  slipped  into  a  dark  skirt  and  purple 
sweater,  drawn  her  hair  tightly  back,  contriving  to 
make  herself  both  ugly  and  distinguished,  despite  the 
sudden  looming  prominence  of  her  aquiline  nose. 
Gladys  Challoner,  her  dearest  rival,  had  said  of  her: 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  55 

"  When  Irma  gets  herself  up  like  a  fright  before 
dinner,  she  is  preparing  to  dazzle  you  after.'' 

As  she  went  to  meet  the  Forresters,  by  the  indefin 
able  subtleties  with  which  one  woman  rates  another, 
Mrs.  Dellabarre  saw  that  Amy  was  of  her  world. 
She  was  attracted  to  her  instantly,  as  one  woman  is 
attracted  to  another,  with  the  pleasure  of  encountering 
an  antagonist  worthy  to  be  destroyed. 

"  We  have  met  before,"  she  said  smiling,  with  a 
little  extra  pressure  of  her  hand,  "  but  we  are  all ' 
anxious  to  meet  the  man  who  could  carry  off  the 
favorite  after  her  first  season,"  she  added,  extending 
her  hand  to  Mr.  Forrester.  "  It 's  rare  enough  to 
make  you  quite  a  hero." 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mrs.  Dellabarre,"  he  said,  in  his 
strong,  pleasant  bass,  stepping  forward  with  eagerness 
in  his  eyes. 

If  she  had  been  agreeably  surprised  with  Amy,  she 
was  quite  unprepared  for  the  strong  attraction  which 
Andrew  Forrester  exercised  over  her  from  the  mo 
ment  of  their  first  handclasp.  Like  all  neurasthenic 
natures,  she  responded  instantly  to  the  buoyant  health 
of  a  dominant  vitality.  So  quick  was  this  pleasant 
sense  of  well-being  that  the  easy  phrase  of  welcome 
passed  completely  out  of  her  mind,  and  only  the  me 
chanical  approach  of  her  husband  prevented  her  show 
ing  too  plainly  her  perplexity. 

Amy  had  a  confused  sense  of  catching  names  that 
meant  nothing  to  her,  of  seeing  so  many  human  mani 
kins  grouped  about  her  —  Mrs.  Lightbody's  glance 
set  in  criticism,  a  glance  that  swept  her  from  head 
to  foot,  seeking  the  weak  point;  an  elderly  beau 
offered  a  glib  compliment,  and  she  was  conscious  of 
murmuring  something  in  answer.  Mrs,  Dellabarre, 


56  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

after  a  graceful  introduction,  returned  to  the  men, 
abandoning  Amy  to  the  group  whose  conversation  she 
had  interrupted.  One  of  the  Miss  Teakes,  in  brilliant 
sweater  and  striped  skirt,  took  up  in  a  loud  voice,  with 
out  further  attention  to  the  new  arrival,  a  discussion 
of  the  polo  match,  seaming  her  comments  with  the 
slang  of  the  stables.  Three  men,  without  addressing 
a  word  to  her,  finding  Amy  young  and  attractive,  stared 
at  her  with  open  admiration.  Fortunately,  at  this 
moment,  from  the  piano  a  beaming  waistcoat  and 
glowing  smile  bore  down  on  her. 

"  Welcome  to  our  city!  "  exclaimed  Laracy.  "  This 
is  a  surprise.  Have  I  got  to  behave,  Amy,  and  call 
you  l  Mrs.  Forrester  '  ?  " 

"  Get  me  away  from  here,"  she  said,  shaking  hands 
and  laughing. 

"  Freezing  by  the  fireside,  eh  ?  "  said  Jap  Laracy, 
with  a  glance  at  the  group.  "  Pretty  northwest,  eh  ? 
Irma  engages  me  to  thaw  them  out,  but  it 's  tough  — 
it 's  tough !  My  eyes  and  whiskers,  Amy,  I  'm  glad 
to  see  you !  Have  you  seen  Tody  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,"  she  said,  with  a  little  confusion,  for 
Tody  Dawson  had  been  her  most  devoted  admirer 
and,  in  her  youthful  imagination,  she  reproached  her 
self  a  little  at  the  havoc  she  felt  she  had  created. 

"  Oh,  he  's  pining,  pining  away,  cruel  maiden !  " 
said  Laracy.  "  So  are  we  all.  How  could  you  go 
and  do  it  ?  Here  's  -the  wreck  now." 

Dawson,  in  perfect  health,  without  a  line  on  his  face 
or  a  ripple  on  the  perfect  edge  of  his  trousers,  came 
up,  serene  and  unembarrassed. 

"  Well,  Amy,  no  use  in  pretending.  Every  one 
knows  you  've  blighted  my  young  existence.  My 
heart 's  shot  to  pieces,  but  I  forgive  you." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  57 

He  rattled  this  off  with  light  impertinence,  tucking 
a  lavender  handkerchief  up  his  sleeve  —  a  new  accom 
plishment.  A  year  had  transformed  the  young  cub 
just  out  of  college,  who  used  to  blush  and  stammer  in 
the  face  of  his  youthful  adoration.  Amy  looked  up 
at  him,  marveling  at  the  change. 

"  I  think  you  '11  recover,"  she  said,  smiling. 

In  a  moment,  they  were  laughing  over  old  esca 
pades,  unconscious  as  three  children. 

"  What  are  you  three  having  such  a  good  time 
about?"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  approaching  jealously. 
She  laid  a  plump  hand  on  Dawson's  arm  in  an  affec 
tionate  pressure.  '  Tody,  darling,  I  must  get  that 
step  before  to-night.  Jap,  be  a  dear  and  play  for  us 
again." 

"  My  dear  Kitty,"  said  Dawson  coolly,  "  be  calm  — 
be  calm  —  and  have  n't  I  told  you  never  to  show  jeal 
ousy  when  I  am  paying  attention  to  a  pretty  woman?  " 

Amy  listened  in  astonishment  while  Mrs.  Light- 
body,  vastly  amused  at  this  style  of  wit,  laughed 
outright. 

"  You  funny  boy.  Mrs.  —  "  She  hesitated,  seek 
ing  the  name. 

"  Mrs.  Kezzizzas,"  said  Laracy  solemnly. 

Mrs.  Lightbody  bit  her  lip  but,  determined,  she 
appealed  to  Amy. 

'f  You  don't  mind,  do  you?  " 

"  Say  you  do,"  said  Dawson.  "  We  are  trying  to 
bring  Kitty  up  properly.  She  has  the  most  shocking 


manners." 


"  Am  I  rude  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  rolling  her 
eyes. 

"  Oh,  no  —  I  am  the  intruder  here,"  said  Mrs.  For 
rester  quietly. 


58  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

Mrs.  Lightbody,  having  contrived  to  isolate  her 
(though  without  malice,  for  her  bad  manners  were 
natural),  carried  Dawson  off  in  triumph.  Amy  re 
mained  with  her  back  to  the  group  by  the  fireplace, 
uncomfortable  and  angry,  somewhat  consoled  by  the 
spectacle  of  Mrs.  Lightbody's  floundering  efforts. 
She  took  a  cup  of  tea  from  the  butler  who  came  up, 
and  stood  watching  the  swaying  figures.  A  group 
formed  about  the  surface  of  light,  the  men  curious, 
the  women  solemn,  confronted  with  a  new  responsi 
bility,  while  those  whose  figures  inclined  to  plumpness 
studied  the  effect  of  Mrs.  Lightbody's  movements  with 
personal  solicitude. 

"  So  that 's  what  they  've  made  of  the  tango!  "  said 
a  voice  at  her  shoulder  —  a  modulated  voice,  curiously 
flexible  and  soft.  "  What  contortions !  " 

"  Why,  I  think  he  dances  very  well." 

"Dawson?  Of  course.  His  trained  legs  are  irre 
proachable.  But  it 's  not  the  tango.  I  've  danced  it 
in  the  Argentine  and  in  Spain,  and  I  know.  It  is  n't 
the  movement  at  all.  The  real  tango  is  stately  — 
danced  with  dignity." 

"  But  that 's  the  way  we  were  taught."  She  turned 
and  all  at  once  perceived  that  she  had  been  talking  to  a 
stranger.  At  the  same  moment,  he  perceived  his 
mistake. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  thought  —  " 

"  So  did  I,"  she  said,  smiling.  Then  perceiving  how 
intimate  had  been  their  comprehension  of  the  un 
finished  thought,  she  blushed. 

"  After  all,"  he  said  easily,  "  there  is  no  great  harm 
done.  If  you  are  a  very  punctilious  person,  I  '11  have 
Mrs.  Dellabarre  present  me." 

Instinctively  she  divined  who  he  was,  by  the  ease  of 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  59 

his  manner  and  the  foreign  deference  of  his  attitude. 
He  was  still  in  riding  clothes  of  brown,  which  har 
monized  with  the  rather  Spanish  tan  of  his  face  and 
set  off  the  slight  but  alert  figure,  a  man  well  groomed, 
well  ordered,  assured  and  natural,  pleasing  to  the  eye 
and  ear. 

"  You  are  not  Montgomery  Bracken  by  any 
chance?"  she  said  impulsively. 

"  Yes.    How  did  you  —  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  guessed  it."  Then  realizing  how 
strange  this  must  sound,  she  blushed  again.  To  cover 
her  embarrassment,  she  said  rapidly,  "  My  cousin, 
Miss  Nordstrum,  has  described  you  to  me."  Then 
remembering  Fifi's  declared  intention,  she  laughed. 

He  read  the  amusement  in  her  eyes  rightly. 

"  Is  my  scalp  in  danger  ?  "  he  said.  "  Fifi  is  a  very 
determined  young  lady.  Then  you  are  Mrs.  Forres 
ter,  of  course.  Is  your  husband  here?  Won't  you 
present  me?  " 

Before  she  could  act  on  the  tactful  suggestion  which 
relieved  the  embarrassment  of  the  situation,  Dawson 
was  back  at  her  side,  begging  her  to  dance  with  him. 

"  Come  on,  Amy,  now.  Let 's  give  them  a  pro 
fessional  exhibition.  Kitty  is  gasping  for  breath. 
Hello,  Monte!" 

"  How  are  you,  Dawson?  " 

She  hesitated,  watching  Bracken  with  a  little 
amused  malice,  divining  his  impatience,  at  the  assur 
ance  of  the  new  generation.  Tody  had  her  by  the 
hand,  dragging  her  toward  the  open  floor,  with  that 
muscular  enthusiasm  which  has  replaced  man's  defer 
ence  to  woman  in  modern  ballrooms.  To  refuse  was 
awkward,  and,  besides,  she  had  a  score  to  settle  with 
Mrs.  Lightbody. 


60  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Here  's  how  it 's  done !  "  announced  Dawson,  with 
the  disdain  of  a  virtuoso. 

She  danced  instinctively,  pliant  to  her  partner,  so 
light  that  her  flitting  steps  seemed  noiseless,  with  a 
harmony  of  poise  and  movement  that  charmed  the 
eye,  the  delight  a  beautiful  child  awakens  in  its  grace 
ful  passing.  The  tango  at  that  time  was  still  a  curios 
ity,  and  the  deft  exhibition  they  gave  was  watched  by 
every  one.  She  saw  the  crowding  curiosity  through 
half -closed  eyes,  from  Mrs.  Lightbody's  staring  tribute 
to  the  spreading  pride  on  her  husband's  face.  Bracken 
was  by  his  side,  studying  her  with  a  grateful  smile. 
She  knew  that  she  pleased  him  and  was  pleased  her 
self  at  the  thought.  They  ended  amid  a  clapping  of 
hands  and,  flushed  with  pleasure  and  excitement,  she 
hastened  to  present  Tody  to  her  husband. 

"  How  do,  Mr.  Forrester,"  said  that  self-sufficient 
youngster.  "  I  shake  hands,  but  I  really  ought  to 
knife  you  for  carrying  off  Amy." 

"  Ah  —  were  you  interested  ?  "  said  Forrester,  sur 
veying  him. 

"  I  ?  "  said  Dawson,  flushing.  "  Why,  did  n't  you 
know  I  organized  the  society  of  the  mitten  ?  " 

"  Indeed  ?  "  said  Forrester,  in  his  deep  bass,  looking 
at  the  product  of  the  modern  generation  as  a  mastiff 
endures  the  antics  of  a  lap  dog. 

Dawson' s  soda-water  wit  bubbled  out  completely. 
He  stood  shifting  from  foot  to  foot,  seeking  a  chance 
to  escape.  Bracken  took  pity  on  him. 

"  I  acknowledge  the  superiority  of  your  legs,  Daw- 
son,"  he  said,  with  a  shade  of  sarcasm,  "  but  dance  the 
tango  as  it  really  is  danced." 

"I  say,  do  you  know  it?"  said  Dawson  eagerly, 
as  though  before  a  great  discovery.  "  By  George,  I 
wish  you  'd  show  us." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  61 

"  Very  glad  to,  if  Mrs.  Forrester  will  give  me  her 
assistance."  He  turned  to  Andrew.  "  That  won't  be 
asking  too  much  of  your  wife,  will  it?  " 

Forrester  gave  the  implied  permission  with  a  nod 
of  his  head.  Bracken  passed  to  the  piano,  where  he 
indicated  a  slower  rhythm  and  certain  definite  accents, 
and  returning,  bowed  to  his  partner. 

"  Will  you  do  me  the  honor  to  dance  it  with  me, 
Mrs.  Forrester?  There  are  certain  steps  you'll  pick 
up  at  once.  We  '11  dance  it  with  very  little  movement 
of  the  body,  slow,  rather  languid,  quite  stately." 

He  waited  until  she  gave  her  hand,  before  offering 
his  arm,  with  a  deference  that  gave  it  the  value  of  a 
rare  favor,  and  in  this  tactful  attitude,  so  different 
from  the  catch-as-catch-can  license  of  the  American 
ballroom,  he  made  her  feel  a  new  preciousness  of  her 
self.  In  a  few  moments,  they  were  dancing  in  unison, 
in  graceful,  undulating  rhythm.  He  held  her  well 
apart  from  him,  guiding  her  only  with  a  slight 
pressure  of  the  left  hand,  yet  she  was  aware  of  his 
nearness.  And,  as  she  danced,  she  felt  gloriously, 
triumphantly  young.  The  brown  vaulted  hall  and  the 
staring  strangers  swam  away.  She  was  floating  some 
where  between  earth  and  sky,  content  to  surrender  all 
her  will  to  the  touch  that  led  her  through  dreamy 
regions  of  melodious  rhythms,  fairy  lights  and  per 
fumed  flowers. 

"  What  is  so  dangerous  about  him  ?  "  she  thought, 
wondering  why  Fifi  had  seen  fit  to  warn  her. 

He  paid  her  no  compliment,  except  for  an  occasional 
nod  of  satisfaction,  but  in  the  gentleness  of  his  voice, 
in  the  slight  smile  with  which  he  watched  her  moving 
rhythmically  about  him,  she  knew  he,  too,  had  the 
same  sense  of  spontaneous  congeniality. 


62  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  I  am  sorry  we  have  to  stop,"  he  said  at  last,  with 
a  sigh  of  regret. 

"  I,  too,"  she  answered,  in  the  same  tone. 

They  looked  at  each  other  a  short  moment  and 
smiled  with  pleasure.  Then  they  returned  to  the 
others  and  the  general  conversation.  She  knew  that 
she  would  see  him  again  soon.  She  looked  forward 
eagerly  to  the  moment  when  he  would  really  talk  to 
her,  sure  that  they  would  find  instant  sympathy.  Yet 
the  agreeable  impression  he  had  thrown  about  her 
was  so  impersonal  that,  in  their  rooms,  dressing  for 
dinner,  she  said  to  Andrew : 

"  Oh,  I  like  Mr.  Bracken.  He  seems  really  worth 
while." 

"  Bracken  is  a  real  man,"  said  Andrew  heartily. 

"  Which  means  that  some  of  the  others  are  n't," 
she  said,  laughing.  "  Poor  Tody  and  Jap !  " 

"  I  don't  think  I  understand  that  specimen,"  he 
said  gruffly.  "  Why  don't  they  put  them  in  ruffles?  " 

She  came  up  to  him  vastly  amused,  twitching  his 
ear. 

"  Gracious,  you  must  n't  be  so  fierce !  They  're 
harmless." 

"  Perhaps." 

"Are  you  bored?" 

"I?    No." 

"Truthfully?" 

"  Of  course." 

But  he  did  not  voice  his  real  sentiments.  It  had 
been  a  great  readjustment,  and  his  pride  had  suffered. 
For  the  first  time  he  had  felt  lost,  dwarfed  and  in 
consequential.  The  shock  had  awakened  all  his  ambi 
tion,  setting  in  train  dangerous  desires  for  power  and 
prestige,  to  force  the  recognition  he  craved  —  to  be 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  63 

some  one  in  this  society  where  he  was  rated  lower  than 
the  youngest  cub  with  his  bag  of  tricks  to  amuse.  And 
this  awakening  appetite  was  destined  to  change  the 
whole  course  of  his  life. 


VII 

A  FEW  minutes  before  dinner,  Mrs.  Dellabarre 
found  occasion  to  say  to  Monte  Bracken : 

"  I  am  putting  you  beside  little  Mrs.  Forrester. 
There  are  reasons  why  I  want  you  to  be,  well  —  extra 
attentive  to  her." 

"  Special  reasons  ? "  said  Bracken,  smiling,  for 
Irma's  mental  processes  were  a  source  of  delight  to 
him,  and  he  saw  in  the  request  a  ruse  to  give  the  ap 
pearance  of  a  duty  to  what  was  already  an  inclination. 

Mrs.  Dellabarre's  glance  passed  down  the  hall  to 
where  the  mechanical  figure  of  her  husband  was  super 
intending  the  distribution  of  the  cocktails  and  re 
mained  on  it  a  noticeable  moment. 

"  You  are  too  quick,  Monte,  to  need  embarrassing 
explanations,"  she  said  significantly.  "  So  make  a 
point  of  it  —  only  don't  get  really  interested." 

"  She  is  quite  striking  in  her  way." 

"If  she  were  two  inches  taller,  she  would  be  a  great 
beauty,"  she  answered  thoughtfully,  putting  her  finger 
on  the  only  criticism  that  might  hold. 

"  Then  I  am  not  to  sit  next  to  you  ?  "  he  said,  with 
an  admiring  glance  at  her  striking  and  harmonious 
toilette.  With  Irma  he  was  never  bored  and  never 
convinced. 

"  It 's  better  not,"  she  said  slowly. 

He  was  the  man  to  whom  she  held.     She  held  to 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  65 

him  as  she  held  to  her  youth.  She  looked  about  un 
easily,  longing  to  prolong  the  conversation.  Rudolph's 
eyes  from  under  his  bushy  eyebrows  were  on  her,  and 
there  was  something  in  the  new  rigidity  of  his  look, 
something  so  vaguely  disquieting,  that  she  felt  a  little 
shudder  run  over  her  shoulders.  "  Some  one  walking 
over  my  grave,"  she  thought  and,  frowning,  she 
turned  away. 

Amy  went  in  on  the  arm  of  Mr.  Dellabarre,  who 
showed  her  to  her  seat  with  a  dignity  which  he  as 
sumed  with  the  same  care  with  which  he  calculated 
the  descending  steps  and  rounded  the  obstacles  of  the 
chairs. 

"  I  hope  you  are  enjoying  yourself  here,"  he  said, 
in  spaced  solemnity,  with  a  fugitive,  indifferent  look 
in  the  pale  eyes  which  had  become  a  little  watery. 
Then  he  drew  back  into  his  shell,  always  uncomfort 
able  in  the  presence  of  new  acquaintances,  particularly 
of  the  opposite  sex. 

In  ten  years,  he  had  not  added  a  friendship.  The 
butler,  having  watched  him  into  his  seat,  saw  that  his 
glass  did  not  remain  long  empty.  The  scene  with  his 
wife  had  upset  his  routine,  for  in  his  inebriety  there 
was  no  disorder  —  total  abstinence  until  six  o'clock,  a 
certain  number  of  cocktails,  an  invariable  pint  of 
champagne  and  later  the  regular  measure  of  old  pre 
serve  Scotch.  But  to-night  he  had  gone  a  little  be 
yond  his  schedule,  and  he  sat  waiting  for  the  dinner 
to  begin,  staring  painfully  at  a  silver  dish  on  the  glow 
ing  tablecloth  in  front  of  him. 

Mrs.  Forrester,  thus  abandoned,  waited  with  eager 
ness  the  moment  when  Monte  Bracken  would  turn  to 
her.  Though  the  patter,  based  on  intimate  details, 
was  foreign  to  her,  and  the  white  fronts  of  the  men 


66  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

loomed  with  the  rigidity  of  social  tombstones,  she  felt 
like  an  exile  returning  into  her  own.  The  men  were 
mostly  of  the  riding  set,  in  excellent  humor  due  to 
proper  preparation,  ready  to  be  fed  and  talked  to. 
The  women  were  electrically  pretty,  in  flashing  colors, 
daring  in  the  decollete  which  that  season  had  broken 
down  all  prejudices.  Opposite  her  was  the  beautiful 
Mrs.  Challoner,  cold  and  statuesque,  flawless  in  fea 
ture  and  complexion,  careless  of  the  public  announce 
ment  of  her  dimpled  shoulders  and  the  white  fall  of 
her  throat.  She  remembered  with  some  amusement 
Andrew's  preconceived  ideas.  He  was  beside  Mrs. 
Dellabarre,  and  she  thought,  as  she  caught  his  expres 
sion,  that  he  was  rather  consciously  examining  his 
plate.  Irma  Dellabarre  was  not  as  copiously  revealed 
as  Mrs.  Challoner,  and  yet  she  gave  the  impression  of 
being  more  so,  in  a  deep  purple  velvet  dress  that  hid 
one  shoulder  and  gave  to  the  other  the  malicious  ap 
pearance  of  an  accident.  Her  hair  was  built  high 
above  her  forehead  and  fell  about  it  in  softening  clus 
ters.  She  wore  one  stone  against  her  throat —  a  point 
of  white  fire  against  the  dark  throat. 

"  She  looks  like  a  portrait,"  Amy  said,  turning  to 
Mr.  Bracken. 

"  Irma  always  paints  a  portrait." 

But  one  of  the  Miss  Teakes,  determined  not  to  let 
him  go,  recalled  him  with  a  question.  Amy  waited. 
In  the  glance  he  had  given  her,  she  had  felt  the  divin 
ing  instinct  of  the  man.  He  affected  her  with  a 
strange  sense  of  intimacy.  Without  the  need  of  effort, 
in  the  first  pleased  meeting  of  their  eyes,  she  felt  he 
comprehended  her,  her  varying  moods  and  contrary 
impulses,  her  bewilderment  before  unchartered  ex 
periences,  all  the  good  and  bad  which  lay  undisciplined 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  67 

within  her,  and  to  comprehend  this  without  criticism 
in  his  comprehension  of  many  women. 

Yet  when,  at  length,  he  turned  to  her,  she  experi 
enced  a  sudden  embarrassment,  that  first  unease  which 
two  persons  instinctively  drawn  to  each  other  often 
experience  in  sweeping  away  the  opening  formalities. 

"  How  stupid  I  am  —  I  am  boring  him,"  she 
thought,  in  the  first  moments  of  manufactured  con 
versation. 

All  at  once  she  saw  that  he  was  watching  her  with 
critical  amusement.  She  began  to  laugh. 

"  How  do  you  know  what  amuses  me?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  do.    You  were  admiring  my  social  manner." 

"  Right.     It  is  terrifically  impressive." 

"  Then  let 's  break  the  ice  and  really  talk,"  she  said 
eagerly. 

''What!  Say  what  we  really  think?  But  that's 
unheard  of!  Such  a  thing  is  not  permitted  in  good 
society." 

"  Please." 

"  The  responsibility  be  on  your  head,"  he  said 
gravely.  "  But  why  do  you  want  to  put  me  to  such  a 
test?" 

"  If  I  told  you,  it  would  sound  very  flat,"  she  said, 
smiling  at  him. 

In  the  easy  distinction  of  his  evening  clothes,  he 
pleased  her  eye,  always  sensitive  to  harmonies  of  line 
and  color. 

They  looked  at  each  other  uncertainly,  each  im 
pulsively  attracted,  and  their  glances  seemed  to  run 
ahead  of  their  thoughts,  in  mute  interrogation  and 
answer. 

"  Of  course,  there  is  only  one  thing  that 's  interest 
ing —  ourselves,"  he  said,  with  a  mischievous  upward 


68  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

turn  of  his  lips  which  were  unusually  sensitive  for  a 
man. 

She  considered  this  in  some  doubt.  It  was  of  course 
the  only  subject  she  longed  to  discuss,  but  she  won 
dered  if  this  was  but  the  prelude  to  a  conventional 
flirtation. 

"  Well,  begin." 

"Would  you  do  it  over  again?"  he  said,  with  an 
assumption  of  magisterial  solemnity  which  robbed  the 
question  of  half  its  astounding  impertinence. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Bracken !  "  she  exclaimed,  taken  utterly 
off  her  guard,  which  was  what  he  wished. 

"  Dear  me,  is  not  that  the  most  natural  question  in 
the  world?  "  he  said,  lifting  his  eyebrows.  "  Walking 
through  the  social  jungle,  I  meet  a  young  lady  who 
has  the  appearance  of  having  eloped  from  boarding 
school,  a  young  lady  who  commands  me  to  halt  and 
say  what  I  think.  Thereupon,  I  look  at  her  and,  won 
dering  many  things,  I  ask  a  direct  question.  Of 
course,  if  you  wish  to  go  back  — 

"  Heaven  forbid !  "  she  said  hastily.  She  looked  at 
him  with  a  quizzical  smile,  which  brought  her  eye 
brows  into  their  odd  angle  and  suddenly  determined 
to  give  him  as  good  as  he  sent,  said, 

"  Question  for  question  ?  " 

"  Agreed." 

"If  you  had  to  make  up  your  mind  again  "  —  she 
glanced  over  again  to  where  Irma  was  sitting  — 
"  would  you  do  the  same  thing?  " 

He  laughed  without  embarrassment. 

"  Your  question  is  more  impertinent  than  mine,"  he 
said,  without  pretense  of  misunderstanding.  "  And 
some  one  has  been  gossiping." 

"  Then  you  admit  yours  was,  too,"  she  said,  with  a 
satisfied  nod.  "  Well,-  sir  ?  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  69 

"  I  perceive  you  are  in  love  with  your  husband," 
he  said  evasively. 

She  saw  that  he  intended  to  treat  her  as  a  child  and, 
adopting  his  tone  of  banter,  replied : 

"  You  see,  I  am  still  a  bride.  Now  the  secret  is  out. 
I  am  quite  hopeless.  Why  such  a  serious  look  ?  Pity 
ing  me  ?  " 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  Or  perhaps  my  husband?  " 

"  Perhaps  the  husband,"  he  said  slowly,  looking  at 
her  more  attentively. 

"  Really,  this  is  the  most  extraordinary  conversa 
tion  !  "  she  cried.  "  Are  you  making  fun  of  me,  or 
do  you  always  shock  people  to  break  the  ice  ?  " 

"  Who  changed  the  conversation?" 

She  looked  down  at  the  table,  running  her  fingers 
among  the  assembled  forks,  quite  eager  to  hear  more, 
wondering  how  far  he  understood  her,  afraid  lest  he 
might  perceive  too  much  and  yet  not  certain  of  either 
his  seriousness  or  his  bantering  attitude. 

'''  You  know,  I  believe  you  mean  it." 

"  But  I  do !  The  cards,  my  dear  lady,  are  stacked 
against  him.  You  can  no  more  escape  your  destiny 
than  the  moth  the  flame." 

"  Are  you  going  to  prophesy?  "  she  said,  with  one 
of  those  fugitive  looks  with  which  only  very  young  or 
very  innocent  women  give  the  impression  of  retreating 
into  an  inner  shelter. 

"Shall  I?" 

She  hesitated,  and  again  the  feeling  came  over  her 
that  she  had  experienced  in  their  first  meeting  —  that 
this  man  who  had  known  many  women  knew  her  in 
stinctively.  She  was  not  sure  that  she  wanted  her  own 
forebodings  to  be  reawakened. 


70  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Perhaps  later,"  she  said,  glancing  about  to  see  if 
Miss  Teake  was  eavesdropping.  "  It  would  be  rather 
difficult  now,  wouldn't  it?  You  see,  I  am  already 
frightened." 

"  Shall  we  return  to  sterilized  conversation  then?  " 

"  Anything  but  that !  Tell  me  who  these  people 
are." 

"Who  interests  you?" 

"  Mrs.  Bracken.  Your  sister-in-law,  is  n't  she  ?  " 
she  said  instantly,  glancing  across  the  table  at  the 
woman  who  had  attracted  her  from  the  first. 

"  Really  ?  "  he  said  appreciatively.  "  I  should  have 
thought  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Challoner  —  " 

"  No,  no  —  plaster  of  Paris,"  she  said  maliciously. 

"  Beware !    She  '11  become  a  bosom  friend." 

"  Tell  me  about  your  sister-in-law." 

"  Claire?  "  he  said,  and  the  raillery  went  out  of  his 
voice.  "  There  are  not  two  like  her  in  the  world !  " 

"  I  believe  it,"  she  said  pensively.  "  I  have  never 
seen  such  kind  eyes." 

For  a  moment  they  were  silent,  studying  her. 
Among  this  courtesan  stripping  and  license  of  attitude 
and  speech,  Mrs.  Bracken  remained  the  gentlewoman. 
Her  gown  of  russet  silk  interpreted  but  did  not  reveal. 
The  light  ashen  hair  flowed  without  artifice  about  the 
clear  temples.  On  her  neck  she  wore  a  single  emerald 
pendant  in  an  old  Renaissance  setting.  Yet  she  stood 
out  from  all  the  rest  by  the  distinction  of  her  bearing, 
her  poise,  the  cultured  modulation  of  her  voice,  and 
the  graciousness  of  her  expression,  which  lay  in  the 
serenity  of  her  eyes,  the  serenity  of  one  who  still  re 
tains  the  child's  faith  in  the  good  of  the  world  or 
perhaps  has  come  to  charity  through  some  suffering, 
nobly  endured. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  71 

At  this  moment,  as  though  aware  of  their  interest, 
Mrs.  Bracken  turned  and,  their  eyes  meeting,  Amy 
smiled  impulsively  and  shyly.  She  looked  a  moment 
surprised,  divined  that  she  was  being  discussed,  and 
responded  by  a  little  friendly  nod  of  her  head. 

"  Allan,  my  brother,  is  beside  Mrs.  Challoner,"  he 
said,  indicating  a  young  fellow,  who  was  laughing 
boyishly  in  a  serio-comic  attitude  of  flattery.  One  of 
the  best  young  scamps  in  the  world  —  irresponsible 
as  a  kitten,  lovable  as  you  make  them,  without  a  spot 
of  malice  in  him,  and  always  in  trouble  up  to  his  ears, 
despite  the  best  of  intentions." 

"  Would  that  describe  you  a  little?  " 

"  In  the  past,  perhaps.  We  're  of  the  same  stock," 
he  said  lightly. 

"  I  wonder  if  they  are  happy  together?  "  she  asked 
impulsively. 

"  Claire  has  made  everything  of  him,"  he  con 
tinued.  "  He  might  have  ended  in  the  gutter.  In 
stead,  he  has  become  a  useful  citizen.  He  adores  his 
home,  his  children.  He  is  interested  in  a  dozen  activi 
ties,  and  he  has  discovered  that  he  has  a  mind.  He  is 
fortunate." 

"Does  he  know  it?" 

"  He  knows  it,"  he  said  emphatically. 

"  You  have  a  very  high  opinion  of  her?"  she  said, 
looking  at  him. 

"  Yes,  very." 

The  feeling  which  he  had  shown  surprised  her  — 
had  there  been  more  than  just  this  reverence,  she 
wondered  ? 

"  I  did  n't  expect  you  to  take  this  view  of  life,"  she 
said,  still  in  her  reverie. 

"  It 's  rather  too  intimate,"  he  said,  and  returned 


72  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

to   the    lightness    of    his    first   manner.      "  Shall    we 
gossip?  " 

"  Don't,"  she  said  impulsively.     "  I  like  you  better 
this  way." 


VIII 

WHEN  they  left  the  men  for  the  parlor,  the  man- 
vais  quart  d'heure  which  Amy  had  feared  be 
gan.  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  not  yet  decided  to  accept  such 
a  formidable  rival,  turned  her  over  to  the  mercy  of 
the  others.  Amy,  after  a  moment  of  hesitation, 
drew  up  her  chair  beside  Mrs.  Challoner  and  Mrs. 
Lightbody. 

"  Mrs.  Challoner,  I  have  been  admiring  you  all 
through  dinner,"  she  began  timidly.  "  I  have  never 
seen  anything  so  darling  as  your  gown." 

"  This  rag  ?  Oh,  really !  I  was  about  to  throw  it 
away,"  said  Mrs.  Challoner,  favoring  her  with  a  stare 
and,  turning  to  Mrs.  Lightbody,  she  added,  "  I  'm 
done  with  Prandish.  The  line  he  gives  you  this  year 
is  something  abominable." 

"  Gracious,  Gladys,  I  should  say  so !  There  really 
is  only  one  place  in  New  York,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody, 
without  deeming  it  necessary  to  specify  such  common 
knowledge. 

"  And  who  is  that?  "  said  Amy,  and,  determined  to 
be  agreeable,  she  moved  her  chair  around  Mrs.  Chal- 
loner's  half -averted  shoulder. 

11  Why,  Franceline,  of  course!" 

Both  ladies  turned  in  astonishment,  while  their 
glances  traveled  over  her  gown,  which,  though  suffi 
ciently  expensive,  was  not  from  Franceline. 

"  Rudy  was  certainly  leaning  hard  on  his  fork  to* 
night,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  in  a  confidential  whis- 


74  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

per,  which  was  her  slangy  way  of  describing  his 
familiar  condition. 

"  Poor  Irma,  he  does  hang  on ! "  said  Mrs. 
Challoner. 

'''  They  had  another  row  this  morning." 

"About  whom?'*  said  Mrs.  Challoner,  interested. 

"  Monte,  of  course." 

"  I  don't  see  how  she  stands  it.  I  should  n't  blame 
her  for  anything." 

"  What 's  Jack  doing  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  in 
quiring  of  the  husband. 

"  How  do  I  know  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Challoner  amiably. 

"  I  say,  Gladys,  everything 's  poky  around  here," 
said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  "  what  do  you  say  to  getting  up 
a  party  for  to-morrow?  I  can  'phone." 

All  at  once,  as  though  aware  of  an  eavesdropper, 
she  stopped  and  looked  at  Amy,  who,  unable  to  utter 
a  word,  had  sat  rigidly,  completely  isolated. 

"What  do  they  expect  me  to  do?"  she  thought 
angrily.  "  Get  up  and  move  away  ?  " 

"We'll  talk  it  over  later,"  said  Mrs.  Challoner 
significantly. 

At  the  moment  when  this  public  snubbing  had  be 
come  evident  to  every  one,  Mrs.  Bracken  rose  and, 
approaching  them,  held  out  her  hand  to  Amy,  saying: 

"  Come  over  and  talk  to  me  a  little.  I  want  to 
really  know  you."  This  unexpected  overture  changed 
on  the  instant  the  attitude  of  all  toward  Mrs.  Forres 
ter.  Mrs.  Bracken  came  of  a  family  which  for  five 
generations  had  never  deviated  from  its  ideals,  pro 
ducing  men  of  distinction  and  women  educated  to  be 
helpmates  and  mothers,  whose  conduct  did  not  vary 
with  the  wind  of  fashion  but  rested  on  the  rock  of 
self-respect  —  one  of  those  families,  the  true  moral 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  75 

aristocrats  of  America,  who  continue  steadfast  in  their 
traditions,  despite  the  torrential  spread  of  a  new  poly 
glot  society.  She  had  the  reputation  of  being  difficult 
in  her  friendship  and  implacable  in  her  judgments, 
but  the  entree  to  her  house  was  a  passport  everywhere. 
"  Here  is  a  quiet  corner,"  she  said,  and,  still  holding 
Amy's  hand,  she  drew  her  to  a  window  seat  removed 
from  the  general  conversation.  "  What  a  child  you 
are!  But  you  held  your  ground  beautifully!  " 

Amy's  eyes  filled  with  tears  at  the  gentleness  of  her 
tone.  She  looked  at  her,  and  it  seemed  to  her,  as  she 
met  the  clear,  untroubled  eyes,  that  she  could  have 
opened  her  heart  to  her  on  the  instant.  Mrs.  Bracken 
perceived  the  emotion  she  had  caused  and  gave  her  a 
little  pressure  of  the  hand. 

"  There,  my  dear.  They  are  cats,  but  it  is  a  tribute, 
you  know." 

Amy  hardly  heard  what  was  said.  She  was  gazing 
at  her,  carried  away  by  an  impulse  she  did  not  com 
prehend. 

"  I  wish  I  could  be  your  friend,"  she  said  abruptly. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be." 

"  I  feel  that  I  could  talk  to  you  about  anything," 
she  said  quickly,  "  but  I  know  to  be  your  friend  is  a 
great  privilege." 

"  Yes ;  I  don't  give  my  friendship  easily,  but  I  be 
lieve  I  could  be  a  friend  to  you  —  a  real  friend." 

They  looked  at  each  other  for  a  moment,  surprised 
at  the  abruptness  of  their  liking,  yet  knowing  that 
their  sympathy  was  mutual. 

"  Oh,  please,  I  wish  you  would,  Mrs.  Bracken ;  it 
would  mean  so  much  to  me !  " 

"  Then  that 's  decided,"  she  answered,  with  a  smile. 
"  This  is  not  the  place  for  a  serious  conversation,  but 


76  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

some  day  we  '11  have  one  —  if  you  wish  it.  Now  tell 
me  a  little  about  yourself." 

When,  later,  the  men  came  in,  Allan  and  Monte 
Bracken  joined  them,  visibly  surprised  at  the  cordial 
ity  of  their  attitude. 

"  Well,  that  is  a  compliment,"  said  Monte  Bracken 
when,  the  dancing  having  begun,  they  installed  them 
selves  in  the  conservatory  for  a  breathing  spell.  "  I 
never  saw  Claire  go  to  any  one  like  that  before." 

"  She  took  pity  on  me." 

Bracken  looked  amused. 

"  The  ladies  were  showing  their  claws,  eh  ?  " 

"And  I  felt  them!" 

"  You  won't  be  let  in  without  a  fight,  you  know." 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I  want  to,"  she  said  pen 
sively.  "  Is  it  worth  it  ?  Tell  me  about  your  sister- 
in-law.  She  must  be  a  very  happy  person." 

He  picked  a  sprig  of  ivy  from  a  near-by  bower, 
nodded  and  said  solemnly, 

"  Very  —  very  happy !  " 

"  I  wish  I  were  like  her,"  she  said  impulsively. 

He  smiled. 

"  Worried  about  my  prophecy?  " 

She  looked  at  him  and  then,  drawing  back  into  her 
chair,  half  covered  her  face  with  her  fan,  so  that  her 
blue  eyes  looked  over  at  him,  big  and  round  and  a 
little  apprehensive. 

"  Go  on." 

"You  defy  the  oracle?" 

She  nodded. 

"  Why  are  the  cards  stacked  against  my  husband?  " 

The  situation  amused  him,  nor  was  it  new.  He 
looked  at  her  with  a  slanted,  quizzical  glance  and  be 
gan  slowly,  with  a  mixture  of  impertinence  and  light 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  77 

good  humor  with  which  he  knew  how  to  make  accept 
able  the  most  personal  disquisition. 

"  Because  you  are  destined  to  become  a  profession 
ally  beautiful  woman,  like  Mrs.  Challoner  over  there." 
He  nodded  toward  the  dancers,  who  flashed  across 
the  doorway  and,  with  an  assumption  of  impersonal 
ity,  continued:  "  If  I  were  seeking  to  compliment  you, 
I  would  not  put  it  in  the  future.  You  are  not  there 
yet.  You  are  on  the  threshold.  There  is  a  whole  art 
to  acquire  —  or  a  profession,  as  you  wish.  That 's 
what  interests  me  about  you  —  what  is  coming.  To 
me,  every  beautiful  woman  is  a  potential  tragedy." 

"  In  what  way?  "  she  said,  too  interested  to  be  self- 
conscious. 

"  A  tragedy  to  those  she  consumes  and  exhausts." 
He  drew  back,  studying  her  with  more  interest  as 
he  became  interested  in  the  subject.  "  You  see,  a 
beautiful  woman  —  the  professionally  beautiful  kind 
—  quite  a  distinction,  you  know  —  is  a  social  ad 
venturer.  She  arrives  as  self-made  men  arrive;  there 
is  much  in  common  between  them."  He  smiled, 
adding  more  lightly :  "  I  suppose  at  the  present  mo 
ment,  you  have  made  all  sorts  of  good  resolutions  and 
you  believe  in  them.  Futility!  Throw  them  away! 
You  are  doomed,  my  dear  Mrs.  Forrester.  Society 
needs  you.  You  will  rule  it  and  be  its  slave.  You 
don't  believe  me  ?  " 

"  I  should  not  let  him  be  talking  to  me  this  way," 
she  thought,  "  and  yet  it  is  quite  impersonal."  Her 
curiosity  was  aroused  at  the  half-serious,  half-humor 
ous  way  in  which  he  dissected  her.  Was  he  only 
amusing  himself? 

"  Can't  I  have  a  will  of  my  own?  "  she  said. 

"A  what?" 


78  VIRTUOUS   WIVES 

"  A  will  of  my  own." 

*  You  will  have  fashions  of  conducts,  fashions  of 
thinking,  but  will  —  that  does  not  exist!  A  profes 
sionally  beautiful  woman  must  always  be  in  style.  She 
dresses,  acts  and  thinks  as  other  beautiful  women  do 
—  because  her  life  is  to  compete  with  them,  and  to 
compete  with  them  she  must  attack  them  on  their  own 
territory.  You  are  not  convinced?  Look  at  the  dear 
things  to-night."  He  reassured  himself  with  a  glance 
as  to  the  modesty  of  his  companion's  decollete  and 
indicated,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand,  the  daring  shoul 
ders  and  throats  of  the  dancers,  adding :  "  Women, 
women,  you  are  a  perpetual  delight!  You  are  un 
fathomable.  If  you  had  suggested,  five  years  ago,  to 
any  woman  present  that  she  would  come  to  dress  like 
this,  how  indignant  she  would  have  been!  You  may 
have  the  same  feeling  to-night  —  but  next  year  you 
will  do  what  Irma  and  Mrs.  Challoner  do,  because 
they  do  it." 

Amy,  thinking  of  her  cerise  gown  which  Andrew 
had  found  too  daring,  laughed  guiltily. 

"  Well,  yes;  but  that 's  only  a  question  of  dress." 

"Pardon  me  —  question  of  style,  and  everything 
else  will  be  a  question  of  style.  The  dear  ladies  who 
tried  to  snub  you  to-night  will  become  your  inseparable 
friends  the  moment  they  see  they  cannot  down  you. 
And  you,  on  your  part,  will  give  more  time  to  them, 
your  dearest  rivals,  than  to  your  own  family.  You 
will  have  a  sort  of  collective  morality.  You  find  Irma 
surrounded  by  a  collection  of  young  fetch-and-carrys. 
You  '11  establish  your  own  brigade  or  try  to  steal  hers 
from  her.  You  '11  flirt  as  Irma  flirts.  You  '11  dare  as 
Irma  dares.  You  '11  break  the  conventions  as  Irma 
breaks  them." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  79 

"Why  always  Irma?" 

"  Oh,  Irma  is  the  perfect  type  of  a  society  model. 
She  has  wit,  she  has  taste,  and  she  has  a  thorough 
instinct  for  avoiding  the  ice  where  it  begins  to  grow 
thin.  She  is  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  innocence 
of  all  her  intentions  —  in  fact,  she  is  quite  capable  of 
founding  a  school  of  modern  social  philosophy." 

"Aren't  you  making  us  out  very  immoral  persons?" 

"Immoral?  Of  course,"  he  said  cheerfully.  "You 
are  all  profoundly  immoral,  but  not  in  the  sense  you 
attach.  You  are  immoral  because  you  are  irre 
sponsible,  because  you  are  not  really  necessary.  Im 
moral  in  another  sense  —  no !  That 's  the  worst  and 
the  best  of  you.  You  avoid  great  emotions.  They 
are  too  disturbing,  and  you  can't  take  the  time  in 
society.  You  seek  safe  little  emotions  —  to  be  con 
stantly  amused.  The  strongest  emotion  Irma  has  is 
jealousy  of  Gladys  Challoner.  They  spend  their  lives 
attacking  each  other,  poaching  on  each  other's  pre 
serves.  They  outrival  each  other  in  display;  they  are 
indispensable  to  each  other ;  they  call  each  other  up  on 
the  telephone  every  morning  and  tear  each  other  to 
pieces  every  night.  Do  you  think  any  man  can  com 
pete  with  the  strength  of  such  an  attachment  ?  "  He 
stopped,  laughed  as  a  man  who  verges  on  an  epigram, 
pleased  at  his  discovery.  "  Gladys  is  a  moral  light 
ning-rod  to  Irma  —  it 's  what  keeps  her  moral,  in 
the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word." 

Womanlike,  while  listening  to  this  diatribe,  deliv 
ered  half  playfully,  half  seriously,  she  was  seeking 
the  personal  explanation.  Was  he  still  in  love  with 
Irma  Dellabarre?  At  the  thought  that  this  might  be 
the  reason  of  the  satire,  she  felt  a  sharp  pinch  of 
annoyance  which  caused  her  to  say  acidly, 


8o  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  And  this  is  what  I  am  to  become  ?  Thank  you. 
You  have  a  very  bad  opinion  of  me." 

"I?  Not  at  all!  You'll  see  —  society  needs  you. 
You  will  be  one  of  its  martyrs.  You  must  be  admired, 
imitated,  and  torn  to  pieces  regularly,  or  society  would 
be  a  very  dull  place.  In  a  year  or  two,  when  I  come 
back  again,  I  shall  hope  to  be  your  very  good  friend. 
Who  knows,  when  next  we  meet,  I  may  be  foolish 
enough  to  lose  my  head !  " 

She  laughed  at  the  casual  way  he  declared  this 
impertinence,  as  though  offering  her  an  atoning 
compliment. 

"  Even  with  all  your  wisdom?  " 

"  Oh,  the  wisest  is  the  most  vulnerable !  " 

"  You  know,  I  should  be  very  angry  at  you,  but 
you  have  the  most  amusing  way  of  saying  the  most 
impossible  things.  Tell  me,  why  do  you  talk  to  me 
like  this  ?  Is  it  just  to  amuse  yourself  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  and  said  solemnly, 

"  I  am  prophesying,  you  know !  " 

"  So,  in  your  eyes  I  am  doomed  ?  " 

"  There  will  be  compensations,"  he  said,  with  a 
smile. 

She  dropped  her  fan  for  a  moment  and  raised  her 
eyes,  meditative,  solemn,  disturbed,  in  a  long  glance 
of  inquiry. 

"  I  believe  you  are  more  than  half  serious!  " 

"  Serious  —  never !  I  never  would  be  so  imperti 
nent  as  to  tell  the  truth  in  a  serious  manner." 

"  But  if  I  —  permit  you,"  she  added,  after  a  slight 
hesitation. 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  warn  you  —  you  can't  play  the 
game  like  Irma.  If  you  have  a  spark  of  real  emotion, 
it  is  dangerous  to  feed  on  sensation,  even  little  sensa- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  81 

tions.  They  who  live  by  sensations  shall  perish  by 
sensations!  A  man  with  a  conscience  and  a  woman 
with  a  heart  have  no  place  here !  In  the  end  "  — 
He  hesitated  a  moment ;  his  eyes  met  hers  and  looked 
down  through  them  into  the  secret  caverns  with  an 
impetuous  boldness  he  had  not  shown  before  — 
u  yes,  in  the  end,  there  will  be  trouble.  Ah,  not 
just  now  —  later,  when  you  wake  up." 

"  You  don't  think  I  am  now,  then,"  she  said,  avoid 
ing  his  glance. 

".No;  I  do  not." 

There  was  a  long  pause,  during  which  she  brought 
the  soft,  undulating  feathers  of  her  fan  back  again 
across  her  face. 

"  Are  you  really  leaving  soon?  "  she  said,  presently. 

"  Yes ;  I  am  going  to  take  up  my  post  in  Madrid 
immediately." 

"  You  are  really  a  terrifying  person  to  talk  to,"  she 
said.  "  I  don't  know  whether  I  'd  care  to  repeat  this 
experience." 

"  If  I  have  told  you  the  truth,"  he  said  quietly,  "  I 
have  tried  to  keep  to  generalities." 

She  nodded  —  Andrew  had  not  been  mentioned. 

At  this  moment,  Tody  Dawson  descended  on  them 
like  a  runaway  tower. 

"  Here,  I  say,  Monte !  Amy,  we  've  been  sending 
out  search  parties  for  you !  " 

She  sprang  up,  genuinely  glad  for  the  interruption, 
startled  at  the  intimacy  which  had  grown  over  them. 
She  felt  annoyed,  angry  at  herself,  for  the  ease  with 
which  she  had  revealed  herself,  resenting  also  the 
impersonal  quality  of  his  curiosity,  so  utterly  devoid 
of  any  tribute  to  her.  No  one  had  ever  approached 
her  in  that  attitude. 


82  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  He  thinks  I  am  only  a  child,"  she  thought 
impatiently. 

She  determined,  she  did  not  know  exactly  why,  that 
she  would  give  him  no  further  opportunity.  When, 
later  in  the  evening,  he  came  up  to  ask  her  to  dance, 
she  refused. 


IX 

IT  was  well  after  two  when  the  Forresters  went  to 
their  rooms.  The  maid,  dozing  in  the  hall,  sprang 
up  hastily.  Amy  sent  her  away  after  the  mystifying 
process  of  unhooking  had  been  accomplished  and  slip 
ping  into  a  negligee,  vibrantly  awake,  stood  at  the 
ivy-clad  window  looking  down  on  the  spectacle  of  the 
departing  cars;  the  awaking  throb  of  the  motors, 
the  sweeping,  monstrous  eyes  searching  the  night,  the 
will-o'-the-wisp  flights  across  the  countryside. 

The  echo  of  many  compliments  was  pleasant  in  her 
ear,  the  consciousness  not  only  of  the  evening's  suc 
cess  but  of  all  that  the  future  would  bring  hung  in 
her  imagination  like  a  disturbing  perfume.  She  found 
herself  recalling  many  things  Monte  Bracken  had  said 
to  her  and  admitting  their  justice.  She  had  seen  her 
worth  in  the  eyes  of  the  women,  feminine  mirrors, 
which  told  more  than  the  lip  flattery  of  the  men. 
But  she  was  still  an  amateur,  as  Bracken  had  said, 
and  she  found  herself  thinking  of  Irma  Dellabarre, 
of  her  poise,  her  exquisite  taste,  the  charm  of  her 
manner,  the  ease  of  her  silences,  the  naturalness  and 
elegance  of  her  movements. 

"  If  I  were  a  man,  I  should  be  crazy  about  her," 
she  said  to  herself.  "  I  wonder  if  he  really  is  n't." 

"  Not  sleeping?  "  said  the  voice  of  her  husband. 

"No,  indeed!" 

She  left  the  window.    Andrew  wandered  in,  a  cigar 


84  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

in  hand.  His  lawn  tie  was  pulled  loose.  He  had 
thrown  off  coat  and  vest,  preparing  to  retire.  He  was 
in  flowered  suspenders,  rosebuds  on  a  satin  back 
ground.  The  sight  of  these  suspenders  affected  her 
disagreeably — the  disillusioning  intimacy  of  marriage. 

"Didn't  you  bring  a  dressing-gown?"  she  asked 
irritably. 

"No  —  why?" 

"  You  '11  catch  cold  after  dancing,"  she  said  hastily, 
surprised  herself  at  this  first  critical  impulse  toward 
her  husband. 

"  I  did  very  little  dancing,"  he  said  shortly.  "  I 
must  take  some  lessons  to  keep  up.  I  didn't  know 
you  were  so  fond  of  it." 

He  started  to  light  the  cigar,  took  a  puff  and 
stopped  guiltily,  quenching  it. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  'm  absent-minded  to-night." 
He  looked  at  her  with  shining  eyes.  "  Very  proud  of 
you  this  evening,  Yum  Yum." 

"  I  'm  glad  of  that,"  she  said,  ashamed  of  her 
annoyance. 

"The  prettiest  there,"  he  said,  nodding.  He 
stopped  before  her,  his  head  on  one  side,  his  eyes  half 
closed,  studying  the  dainty  figure. 

"  What  is  it?    Did  I  do  something  wrong?  " 

"  No,  no.  I  was  just  trying  to  figure  out.  Let 's 
see." 

He  took  up  a  scarf  and,  freeing  the  negligee,  draped 
it  about  her  shoulders.  The  decollete  thus  exposed 
was  in  the  manner  of  Mrs.  Challoner. 

"  What  a  boy  you  are !  "  she  said,  with  sparkling 
eyes. 

"  Turn  around.    A  little  lower  in  the  back." 

When  he  had  contemplated  the  delicate  slope  of 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  85 

her  shoulders,  the  whiteness  of  the  skin,  the  slender 
and  graceful  column  of  the  neck,  he  said : 

"  I  knew  it !  Not  one  can  touch  you !  As  for  Mrs. 
Challoner,  we'll  settle  her!"  he  added  proudly,  even 
defiantly. 

She  watched  him,  amused  at  this  sudden  conver 
sion,  perceiving  the  working  of  new  ideas  behind  his 
contemplation. 

"  So  the  cerise  gown  —  " 

"  Mrs.  Dellabarre  dresses  beautifully,"  he  inter 
rupted,  smiling  guiltily.  "  Young  lady,  some  new 
dresses  at  once!"  He  looked  at  her  again.  "Mrs. 
Challoner,  indeed !  "  he  said  indignantly. 

Following  his  gesture  she  turned  to  the  mirror. 
The  daring  of  the  deep  decollete  he  had  arranged,  the 
flaming  scarf  playing  over  the  soft  slopes  of  her  vel 
vety  skin,  brought  to  her  eyes  a  glow  of  pleasure. 
She  stood  staring  at  the  prophetic  figure  which  con 
fronted  her. 

"  Don't  spoil  me,  Andrew !  "  she  said,  turning  ab 
ruptly  and  drawing  her  negligee  hastily  about  her. 

He  had  flung  himself  down  in  an  armchair,  plunged 
in  a  brown  study,  so  absorbed  that,  forgetful  of  the 
past  offense,  he  had  again  lit  his  cigar. 

"  What  now  ?  "  she  asked,  surprised  at  his  unusual 
mood.  The  satin  suspenders,  worked  in  rosebuds, 
stood  before  her  eyes  wherever  she  looked.  What 
had  possessed  him  to  get  them?  Other  men,  like 
Monte  Bracken,  would  never  appear  at  such  a  dis 
advantage.  He  put  his  hand  up  as  though  to  open  the 
collar  which  cut  into  his  neck. 

"  If  he  does,  I  shall  scream,"  she  thought. 

But  he  contented  himself  with  an  easing  of  the 
corners.  He  blew  out  a  great  smoke  ring. 


86  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  It 's  quite  a  revelation  —  coming  here,"  he  said, 
speaking  to  himself.  "  What  do  you  think  it  can  cost 
to  run  this  place  ?  " 

"  Heavens !    How  do  I  know  ?  " 

"  You  like  it?  "  he  said,  looking  at  her  fixedly. 

"  I  adore  it  —  naturally." 

"  Nothing  second  chop  here,"  he  said,  wagging  his 
head.  "  When  we  go  back  —  we  '11  make  a  bonfire 
of  what  we  've  got." 

"  But  Andrew  —  " 

"  It 's  trash.  This  has  opened  my  eyes.  Make  a 
friend  of  Mrs.  Dellabarre.  She  can  teach  you  every 
thing.  Look  at  the  way  she  runs  her  house,  the  order, 
the  charm  of  it!  I  don't  know  how  she  does  it  — 
but  I  'm  going  to  learn.  Yes,  sir ;  I  'm  going  to  have 
a  home  like  this." 

"  Andrew,  but  how  can  we  ?  " 

"  Why,  all  we  need  is  a  million,"  he  said,  unable  to 
resist  a  touch  of  that  humorous  braggadocio  which  is 
the  zest  of  the  American  parvenu.  "  Best  and  damn 
the  expense !  Amy,  do  you  want  it  —  say  the  word  — 
you  shall  have  it !  " 

Years  before  her  father  had  dedicated  his  existence 
to  her  in  almost  the  same  words ! 

"Yes  —  but  —  " 

"  It  means  a  few  years  plugging,  but,  by  Jove,  it 's 
worth  it!"  he  said  boisterously.  The  feeling  of  his 
own  unimportance  in  whatever  sphere  was  one  his 
mounting  nature  could  not  tolerate,  and  the  lesson  of 
the  evening  had  been  a  hard  one.  He  rose  with  the 
dogged  fighting  face  of  the  old  athlete.  "  Look  here ; 
we  're  going  to  enjoy  life  to  the  fullest,  you  and  I. 
We  're  going  to  have  everything  life  can  give  — 
and  we  're  going  to  have  the  best.  Andrew  B.  For- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  87 

raster  is  going  to  surprise  a  few  people  around  these 
parts !  " 

She  understood. 

"You've  decided  to  accept  Mr.  Gunther's  offer!" 

"  Within  ten  minutes  after  I  got  here,"  he  said 
beaming.  "What!  Are  n't  you  pleased  ?" 

"Yes,  yes;  I  suppose  so  —  if  you  want  it.  You 
take  my  breath  away,"  she  said  soberly.  She  could 
not  have  told  herself  why,  but  the  prospect  frightened 
her.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  was  dragging  him 
out  of  his  existence  into  a  world  she  coveted. 

"  My,  how  serious  we  are !  " 

"  But  this  afternoon,  Andrew,  you  said  we  had 
enough,"  she  began. 

He  dismissed  the  objection  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 

"  This  afternoon,  my  dear  girl,  I  did  n't  know  what 
money  was  worth !  " 

"  If  you  go,  I  go  with  you,"  she  said  impulsively. 

"  You  '11  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  he  said  emphati 
cally.  "  You  begin  the  fight  here,  and  I  '11  tackle  the 
other  side."  He  caught  her  up  and  swung  her  to  his 
shoulder,  despite  her  laughing  protests.  '  There ! 
People  are  going  to  be  mighty  proud  to  know  Mrs. 
Andrew  B.  Forrester !  " 

He  set  her  down  with  sudden  gravity  and  said  joy 
fully,  what,  many  times  later,  he  was  to  recall  with 
bitterness : 

"  And  this  morning  I  was  satisfied !  Fool  that  I 
was!" 

An  hour  later,  he  was  still  awake,  absorbed  in 
dreams  of  ambition,  filled  with  the  zest  of  new  worlds 
to  conquer. 

Amy,  in  the  next  room,  heard  him  turning  in  his 
bed,  mumbling  to  himself.  She  found  it  difficult  to 


88  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

rest.  Long  after  she  heard  his  heavy  breathing,  she 
remained  awake.  The  haunted  silence  of  the  country 
night  drew  her  out  to  the  sighing  of  drifting  leaves 
and  sent  her  imagination  wandering  into  the  future. 
She  felt  almost  as  though  she  had  committed  a  crime. 
What  was  this  new  world  into  which  she  was  draw 
ing  him?  Would  it  bring  them  together  or  insensibly 
separate  them?  Something  in  her  better  nature  cried 
out  strongly : 

"  He  is  making  a  mistake.  This  is  not  the  way. 
He  ought  to  take  from  you  —  make  you  follow  him !  " 

All  at  once  she  sprang  up  and  went  to  his  bedside. 

"Andrew!" 

She  said  it  softly,  once,  twice,  and  then  turned  away. 
Back  in  her  bed,  she  wondered  at  her  emotion.  Why 
was  she  afraid? 

"  No  one  could  ever  be  so  kind,"  she  said  to  herself 
resolutely.  "  He  will  always  hold  me  by  that !  " 

Her  rest  was  fitful,  disturbed  by  the  echoes  of  catchy 
music  which  turned  about  her.  All  night  she  seemed 
to  be  dancing.  Toward  morning,  she  fell  into  a  heavy 
sleep,  in  which  she  had  a  curious  dream. 

She  was  in  the  midst  of  a  great  ballroom  and, 
whirling  about  her,  were  her  father,  Fifi,  Uncle  Tom, 
Mr.  Dellabarre,  every  one  she  knew.  She  saw  Andrew 
dancing  with  Mrs.  Challoner,  dancing  very  heavily, 
tripping  and  hopelessly  muddled  in  his  steps  until 
Mrs.  Challoner  stopped  suddenly  and  exclaimed: 

"  How  absurd  for  you  to  ask  me  to  dance !  Why, 
you  don't  know  the  first  thing  about  it !  " 

Every  woman  that  Andrew  invited  to  dance  shook 
her  head  and  laughed.  All  at  once,  to  her  horror,  she 
perceived  that  he  was  in  suspenders,  white  satin  sus 
penders,  worked  with  rosebuds ! 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  89 

Then  she  was  dancing  with  him,  piloting  him 
through  the  swinging  crowd.  At  first  he  stumbled, 
and  she  heard  a  titter  in  the  crowd.  When  she  looked 
round,  they  were  alone  on  the  glistening  floor. 

"  Every  one  's  stopped  dancing,"  he  said  nervously. 

"  Don't  stop,  go  on !  "  she  said  angrily.  "  They 
shan't  make  you  ridiculous !  "  Little  by  little  his  awk 
wardness  disappeared,  his  steps  became  smoother. 
Some  one  began  to  applaud.  "  Faster,"  she  whispered, 
"faster!" 

His  arm  became  stronger.  She  no  longer  piloted 
him.  It  was  his  hand  which  guided  her  deftly.  She 
was  astonished  at  the  rhythm  and  harmony  of  his 
movements. 

"  But  it 's  wonderful  —  Andrew  is  a  wonderful 
dancer!  Why  have  n't  I  noticed  it  before?  "  she  said. 

And  all  at  once,  she  looked  up  and  saw  she  was 
dancing  with  Monte  Bracken. 

"You!" 

He  smiled  his  critical,  amused  smile. 

"  You  see." 

"  But  why  have  you  come?  " 

"  Because  you  did  n't  answer  my  question." 

"What  question?" 

"  Would  you  do  it  over  again  ?  " 

Then  every  one  seemed  to  be  rushing  about  them; 
the  great  chandeliers  overhead  were  swaying  like  a 
surging  sea,  the  music  thundered  in  her  ears  and  she 
woke  with  a  cry. 

Andrew  was  in  the  room  in  a  great  coat,  ready  to 
leave.  It  was  ten  o'clock. 

"  A  nightmare  ?  "  he  said,  laughing.  "  You  've 
been  tossing  and  mumbling  to  yourself  at  a  great 
rate." 


90  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Yes,  yes." 

"  What  frightened  you  ?  " 

"  I    fell  down-stairs   or  something  or   other,"   she 
said  hastily. 


TRMA  DELLABARRE  came  in  shortly  after  in  a 
-*•  fluffy  dressing  gown,  with  Mon  Amour's  smutty 
nose  peering  from  a  pocket. 

"  I  've  ordered  the  darling's  breakfast  up  here,  and 
we  can  be  as  lazy  as  we  want,"  she  said,  embracing 
Amy  affectionately.  "  Kitty  has  had  a  telephone  from 
New  York  and  wants  us  to  run  up  this  afternoon  for 
a  spree.  No ;  don't  get  up.  You  're  a  picture  just 
as  you  are.  What  a  fascinating  bed-cap !  " 

"  I  'm  afraid  I  'm  awfully  late,"  said  Amy,  making 
friends  with  the  Pekinese. 

"  Late  —  not  a  bit !  I  get  up  with  the  chickens," 
said  Irma,  who  had  been  called  at  ten.  "  My  dear, 
it 's  wonderful  that  Mon  Amour  goes  to  you  like  that. 
He  hardly  ever  does.  He  's  never  even  accepted  Rudy. 
Poor  Rudy,  he  hates  so  to  be  barked  at !  " 

Amy,  in  company  with  all  Irma's  acquaintances, 
could  never  be  brought  to  see  Mr.  Dellabarre  under 
the  affectionate  sobriquet  of  "  Rudy."  But  Irma's 
public  attitude  toward  her  husband  was  a  thing  of 
mystery. 

At  this  moment,  the  maid  arrived  with  the  three 
breakfasts.  Mrs.  Dellabarre  examined  with  maternal 
solicitude  the  cream  and  bread  destined  for  the  favor 
ite  and  held  a  consultation  as  to  the  menu  of  the  day. 

"  Louise,  tell  Gervais  that  he  has  been  giving  Mon 
Amour  too  much  red  meat  lately.  Yes;  you  have 
been  eating  like  a  little  pig,"  she  added,  shaking  her 


92  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

finger  at  the  blinking  Mon  Amour,  "  and  your  little 
turn-turn  won't  stand  it,  no  it  won't.  No  more  tour- 
nedos  for  a  while,  Louise.  A  little  sweetbread  for 
lunch,  and  be  sure  it 's  cooked  enough  —  for  to 
morrow,  some  chicken  livers.  He  '11  be  furious,  I 
know,  but  he  has  the  most  delicate  digestion,"  she 
added  to  Amy,  "because  he  is  a  little  prince,  he  is!  " 

"  Miss  Bane  wants  to  know  if  you  'd  like  to  see  the 
children,"  said  Louise,  "  because  they  're  to  go  to  their 
grandma's." 

"  Of  course  I  do.  But  not  now  —  tell  them  to  come 
down  after  lunch,"  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  who  had 
Mon  Amour  on  her  lap  and  was  coaxing  him  to  accept 
his  saucer.  "My  dear,  he's  the  most  jealous  thing! 
If  I  kiss  the  children,  it  sends  him  into  a  perfect  fury." 

"  What  a  darling!  "  said  Amy,  smiling  inwardly. 

'''  You  must  get  one  at  once.  They  're  so  affection 
ate!  I'll  select  one  for  you,"  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre, 
who  was  never  satisfied  until  she  had  imposed  on  her 
friends  her  doctor,  her  grocer,  her  dressmaker,  and 
her  dog-fancier.  "  It 's  really  astonishing  he  takes  to 
you,"  she  added,  as  though,  by  that,  Amy  had  taken 
new  value  in  her  eyes.  "  But  you  are  so  dainty  and 
pretty,  it 's  no  wonder.  You  know,  I  was  n't  prepared 
to  like  you  at  all." 

"Really?" 

"  I  was  just  a  little  bit  jealous.  It 's  the  first  time 
Rudy  ever  invited  any  one  without  consulting  me. 
And  you  know,  or  rather  you  will  know,  that  wives 
must  defend  their  rights." 

"  I  'm  sorry.     I  did  n't  realize." 

"  I  'm  delighted.  You  've  won  us  all,  you  lovely 
child!"  said  Irma  frankly.  "And  then,  you've  put 
Gladys's  nose  out  of  joint."  She  began  to  laugh. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  93 

"  She  thought  I  did  it  on  purpose.  Gladys  is  my  best 
friend.  Your  ears  must  be  tingling  with  all  the  com 
pliments  you  Ve  had!  " 

"  Much  chance  I  have  when  you  're  around ! "  said 
Amy,  returning  the  compliment.  "  It 's  a  very  good 
thing  my  husband  went  away  —  after  all  he  had  to 
say  about  you  last  night." 

Irma  preferred  the  admiration  which  husbands  do 
not  confide  to  their  wives;  yet  all  flattery  pleased 
her. 

"  How  did  you  get  on  with  Monte  Bracken  ?  "  she 
said  casually. 

"  I  had  the  feeling  of  being  chopped  up  and  sorted 
into  packages." 

"  Yes ;  that 's  his  way.     Poor  Monte !  " 

"  Why  poor?" 

"  He  's  such  a  glorious  failure,"  said  Irma,  pouring 
out  the  coffee.  "  All  his  brains  are  wasted  on  nothing. 
For  Monte  has  brains.  If  he  'd  only  had  to  work  for 
his  living,  he  'd  have  been  some  one,  and  he  knows  it. 
If  only  he  had  married  the  right  sort  of  a  wife! "  she 
added,  thinking  of  herself.  "  However,  all  women 
believe  he  's  going  to  startle  the  world.  What  do  you 
say  to  Kitty's  idea?"  she  continued,  changing  sud 
denly.  "  We  can  pick  up  a  couple  of  men  in  New 
York  and  do  something  amusing.  There 's  really 
nothing  doing  here  at  all." 

"  Why,  I  think  it  would  be  lots  of  fun,"  said  Amy, 
a  little  surprised  at  this  restlessness. 

"  The  truth  is,  Kitty  's  having  a  tremendous  flirta 
tion  with  Joe  Barrisdale  —  you  know,  the  one  who 
married  Anita  Felton,"  said  Irma,  who  made  a  short 
disquisition  in  genealogy.  "  They  're  separated.  I 
believe  there  's  some  question  of  divorce,  so  Kitty  has 


94  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

to  be  very  careful.  The  joke  about  it  is  that  Kitty  is 
crazy  to  have  us  believe  she  's  a  romantic  character." 

"  And  —  is  n't  she?  "  said  Amy,  in  surprise. 

"  Kitty !  "  said  Irma,  who  began  to  laugh.  "  Kitty, 
my  dear,  is  a  little  New  England  prude  who  's  scared 
to  death  the  moment  she  's  left  alone  with  a  man.  My 
dear,  I  know  —  they  've  told  me !  Only,  she  's  fright 
ened  to  death  we  '11  suspect  it.  She  's  bound  to  be 
talked  about  if  it  kills  her.  Oh,  you  '11  find  lots  like 
her." 

"  And  lots  who  are  not,"  said  Amy,  with  a  smile. 

"  Who  ever  knows,"  said  Irma,  shrugging  her 
shoulders  and  beginning  to  brush  Mon  Amour's  silky 
coat.  "  Most  flirtations  are  harmless  enough."  She 
became  serious.  "  You  '11  see.  Men  are  not  so  des 
perately  taken  with  us  as  we  imagine.  When  you 
know  you  can  get  them  —  you  're  satisfied.  It 's 
human  —  is  n't  it  ?  —  to  want  to  know  your  power  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Amy  pensively. 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  be  an  old  scold  and  tell  you  all 
the  horrors  of  marriage  and  how  to  manage  your 
husband,"  said  Irma,  smiling.  "  Only,  lots  of  things 
may  puzzle  you,  and  I  don't  want  you  to  misunder 
stand  me." 

At  this,  Amy  could  not  repress  a  smile. 

"  I  see  it  '11  be  quite  an  amusing  party  to-night." 

Irma,  seeing  that  she  did  not  have  to  do  with  a  fool, 
said,  with  great  frankness : 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  like  to  play  too.  Exploring  is  such 
fun  —  when  you  are  sure  of  yourself." 

"And  you  are?"  said  Amy,  enjoying  this  confes 
sion,  which  brought  them  to  equality. 

"  It 's  a  question  of  principle,"  said  Irma  resolutely. 
"  It  would  be  foolish  to  say  that  all  the  women  we 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  95 

know  are  innocent.  They  're  not.  With  me,  it 's  dif 
ferent.  I  have  my  children  and  my  husband  and  I 
intend  to  be  a  virtuous  wife.  Why?  Because  I  hate 
vulgarity,  perhaps.  That  would  always  stop  me,  if 
nothing  else.  This  is  rather  frank,  but  I  feel  we  're 
going  to  be  close  friends,  and  I  don't  want  you  to 
misunderstand  me  —  do  you  see  ?  " 

"  I  see,"  said  Amy,  with  a  twinkle  in  her  blue  eyes. 

"  Rudy,  who  is  the  best  husband  in  the  world,"  said 
Irma  contentedly,  "  can't  understand  that  the  wife 
who  keeps  her  admirers  public  is  the  last  one  to  worry 
over."  She  nodded,  smiling  to  herself  over  some 
stored-up  confidence.  "  If  I  were  a  husband  I  should 
only  be  suspicious  when  no  man  was  attentive  to  my 
wife.  Be  careful  to  make  your  husband  understand 
that,  my  dear,"  she  added,  unable  to  resist  the  tempta 
tion  of  an  older  married  woman  to  point  the  danger. 

"  Oh,  Andrew  's  quite  the  other  way,"  said  Amy, 
with  a  touch  of  pride.  "  Really  he  is  the  kindest  being 
in  the  world.  He  knows  I  'm  dreadfully  young,  and 
he  wants  me  to  enjoy  life  just  as  though  —  well,  not 
exactly  as  though  I  had  n't  married,  but  —  you  know 
what  I  mean.  He  wants  me  to  play  just  as  before,  and 
he  is  n't  jealous  in  the  least  if  other  men  are  attentive. 
Besides,  I  shall  be  careful  to  do  nothing  he  does  n't 
like." 

Irma,  who  underneath  the  lightness  of  her  manner, 
did  not  lack  perspicacity,  was  thinking,  "  I  wonder  if 
that  pretty  child  knows  the  force  she  is  playing  with." 
It  was  a  little  habit  of  hers,  when  a  man  strongly  at 
tracted  her,  to  imagine  the  beneficent  results  which 
would  have  come  to  him  if  he  had  been  so  fortunate 
as  to  have  won  her  as  a  wife.  Aloud  she  said : 

"  He  is  very  wise  —  because,  well,  you  are  fright- 


o6  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

fully  young  and  attractive,  and  it  might  have  been 
very  hard  for  you." 

"  I  am  not  half  good  enough  for  him,"  said  Amy 
in  a  burst  of  confidence.  "  At  the  bottom,  I  'm  terribly 
frivolous,  I  'm  afraid." 

"  And  a  great  flirt,"  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  smiling 
directly  into  her  eyes. 

'*!?" 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  you  are,  and  the  more  dangerous 
because  it 's  instinctive.  Look  out.  The  dangerous 
women  are  not  the  professional  coquettes.  Every 
man  who  meets  them  is  warned,  and  forewarned  is 
forearmed.  No,  no;  if  I  were  a  man,  I  should  be 
mortally  afraid  of  a  little  person,  with  the  eyes  of  a 
Madonna  and  quiet  ways,  who  can  still  blush  when 
she  's  pleased." 

"  Is  she  warning  me  to  keep  off  her  preserves  ?  " 
thought  Amy  to  herself  and,  as  she  did  not  lack  astute 
ness  or  a  sense  of  humor,  she  said,  taking  the  older 
woman's  hand  affectionately,  "  I  'm  afraid  I  don't 
know  much  about  myself,  but  if  you  're  going  to  let 
me  be  friends,  will  you  make  an  agreement.  If  I  ever 
trespass  unconsciously,  you  '11  warn  me  ?  " 

This  was  said  with  a  smile  breaking  about  the  little 
red  lips  that  gave  a  more  direct  significance  to  her 
words. 

"You  are  quite  adorable!"  said  Irma,  embracing 
her  and  covering  her  confusion  with  a  laugh.  "  We  '11 
call  it  a  treaty,  then.  And  to  prove  my  generosity, 
I  '11  surrender  one  of  my  crocodiles.  Oh,  I  'd  have  to 
do  it,  anyway !  " 

Amy,  who  comprehended  perfectly  that  she  was 
thus  to  acquire  Mr.  Tody  Dawson,  played  the  innocent. 

"Crocodiles?"  she  said,  raising  her  eyebrows. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  97 

"  That 's  my  expression,  my  dear.  Crocodiles  are 
admirers  who  want  to  look  very  dangerous  but  can't 
move  quickly  enough  to  catch  you  —  and  who  like  to 
shed  crocodile  tears,  of  course.  Tody  and  Jap  are 
young  crocodiles  —  quite  harmless.  Don't  worry 
about  them.  I  've  trained  them  thoroughly.  They 
know  quite  well  if  they  're  docile  and  faithful  and 
don't  try  to  use  their  teeth,  we  '11  reward  them  by 
finding  a  good  match  for  them." 

"But  are  they  so  harmless-?"  said  Amy  thoughtfully. 

"  Absolutely,"  said  Irma,  with  conviction.  She 
turned  to  her  with  more  friendliness.  "  My  dear,  let 
me  give  you  one  piece  of  advice:  When  in  a  tight 
corner,  laugh.  The  most  dangerous  man  can't  stand 
being  laughed  at!"  She  rose,  cuddling  Mon  Amour 
in  her  arms,  suddenly  solicitous.  '  The  only  trouble 
about  to-night  is  what  shall  I  do  with  this  darling? 
Mon  Amour  is  so  wretched  to  be  left  alone  —  and 
then  the  night  air  is  so  dangerous  for  the  little  dear, 
and  if  anything  happened  to  him  —  oh,  and  about 
to-night,  of  course  I  promised  Kitty  not  to  breathe 
a  word  about  Joe.  She  '11  do  that  herself  the  moment 
she  gets  a  chance  at  you  —  you  understand.  And 
as  for  Rudy,  well,  there  's  no  use  —  of  course,  there  's 
no  real  reason,  but  there  's  no  use  in  mentioning  whom 
we  meet  —  poor  Rudy  is  so  fidgety,  you  know !  " 


XI 

A  FTER  luncheon,  Miss  Bane  ushered  in  the  chil- 
-***  dren,  immaculate  and  rigid,  as  though  they 
moved  in  a  spotless  existence;  Rudolph,  Junior,  aged 
six,  and  Doris,  who,  at  the  age  of  eight,  was  shooting 
up  so  rapidly  that  Irma  never  saw  her  without  feeling 
that  she  was  doing  it  on  purpose.  Under  the  directing 
eye  of  Miss  Bane,  they  made  the  rounds  of  the  table, 
gravely  performing  precise  courtesies  and  arrived 
finally  before  their  mother,  whom  they  contemplated 
in  wondering  admiration,  as  if  she  were  some  strange 
fairy  princess.  Irma  gathered  them  in  impulsively, 
one  under  each  arm,  and  embraced  them  rapturously. 

Mon  Amour,  from  his  high  chair  specially  made, 
began  to  bark  in  angry  thin  yapping. 

"  There,  there ;  I  won't  kiss  them  any  more,"  said 
Irma  soothingly.  "  Did  it  make  him  jealous  ?  No ; 
he  shan't  be  teased." 

"  And  how  old  are  you,  dear?  "  said  Amy  to  Doris. 

"  Eleven,  going  on  twelve,"  said  that  young  lady 
innocently. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  in  a  shriek. 
"  Who  told  you  to  say  that  ?  Tell  me  at  once,  Doris 
—  at  once." 

"  Mr.  Laracy,"  said  the  child,  looking  frightened. 

"  Mr.  Laracy  is  a  very  impertinent  person,"  said 
Irma,  looking  daggers  at  that  young  joker,  who  had 
retired  in  convulsions  of  mirth  behind  his  plate.  But 
as  the  laugh  was  general,  she  yielded  to  it.  "Jap, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  99 

I  '11  never  forgive  you  —  she  's  quite  too  enormous 
as  it  is !  " 

"  Why,  mother  ?  "  said  Doris,  opening  her  eyes. 

"  Never  mind,  my  dear,"  said  the  mother.  "  Now 
be  good  children  and  behave  properly,  and  don't  sit 
down  in  the  grass,"  she  added  impressively. 

The  children  nodded  solemnly  and  went  out.  The 
next  moment,  they  heard  them  whooping  joyfully  as 
they  ran  out  to  the  motor. 

At  five  o'clock  the  motors  were  brought  out  for  a 
run  into  the  city.  Laracy,  in  the  runabout,  shot  ahead 
with  Mrs.  Challoner,  while  Tody  Dawson,  at  the  wheel 
of  the  great  touring  car,  directed  the  stowing  of  the 
valises,  and  a  copious  supply  of  rugs  against  the  return 
home. 

"What  about  Mr.  Challoner?"  said  Amy,  who 
found  herself  in  the  back  seat  with  Kitty  Lightbody. 

"Jack?  My,  you  are  an  innocent  little  thing!" 
said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  rolling  her  large  china  eyes. 
"  Take  husbands  along !  Say,  child,  we  're  out  for  a 
good  time."  She  began  to  hum  merrily  to  herself, 
wagging  her  head  in  time  with  her  feet,  which  had 
already  begun  to  dance.  "  Lordy  me,  I  'm  just  expir 
ing  for  one  real  spree !  " 

"  But  there  are  not  enough  men  to  go  around,  it 
seems  to  me,"  said  Amy,  concealing  her  amusement. 

Mrs.  Lightbody  looked  at  her  with  a  little  suspicion. 

"  Did  n't  Irma  tell  you  ?  Charlie  Pardee  and  Cap 
tain  Barrisdale  are  going  to  join  us." 

"  I  'm  really  quite  a  country  mouse,"  said  Amy 
maliciously,  for  she  had  certain  scores  to  settle ;  "  you 
must  help  me  not  to  make  any  mistakes." 

"In  what  way?" 

"  Tell  me  who  belongs  to  whom.     I  don't  want  to 


ioo  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

make  an  enemy  of  Mrs.  Challoner.  Is  it  Pardee  or 
Barrisdale?" 

Kitty  laughed,  looked  quite  flustered,  laughed  again 
nervously,  and  finally  made  up  her  mind  to  explain. 

"  Charlie  Pardee  is  Gladys's  property,"  she  said. 

"  And  Captain  Barrisdale  is  Irma's?" 

"  I  guess  not!  "  said  Kitty  Lightbody  vehemently. 

"  Oh,  I  see !  "  said  Amy,  laughing.  "  I  was  dense, 
wasn't  I?" 

"  When  I  say  '  property  '  —  "  said  Mrs.  Lightbody, 
hesitating  between  two  fears,  either  to  appear  too 
rapid  or  not  rapid  enough. 

"  Oh,  I  understand  perfectly.  All  right ;  I  won't 
trespass." 

"  Of  course,  when  I  say  '  property,'  "  said  Mrs. 
Lightbody,  looking  a  little  worried,  "  that 's  just  an 
expression." 

"  Now  she 's  going  to  explain,"  thought  Amy,  and 
she  waited  with  delight  while  her  companion  floun 
dered  on. 

"  Of  course,  my  dear,  it 's  all  innocent  enough,  at 
least  on  my  part.  What  Gladys  does,  the  Lord  knows ! 
You  can't  stop  all  flirtation  just  because  you  're  mar 
ried  —  can  you  ?  " 

"  Evidently  not." 

"  My  dear,  that  would  be  too  boresome.  It  would 
make  us  hate  marriage,  wouldn't  it?"  said  Mrs. 
Lightbody,  who  prided  herself  on  a  sense  of  logic. 
"  Of  course,  you  're  just  a  bride,  and  that 's  different. 
But  after  you  're  married  a  year  or  two,  you  can't  be 
going  around  all  alone  where  other  women  are,  can 
you  ?  Ted  —  that 's  my  husband  —  and  I  understand 
each  other  perfectly.  He  would  n't  like  it  at  all  if  no 
men  paid  me  attention." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  101 

"Oh,  that 's  what  Andrew  says  to  me':" 

"Really,  dear?  Now,  that  is  feerisible.-,  :  But;  y(?]u 
must  n't  misunderstand.  1'hefe  's  '  nothing  :  really 
wrong  in  flirting  the  way  I  do.  I  like  a  good  time. 
Lord,  we  've  got  so  little  time  to  enjoy  ourselves  in 
this  world,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  with  a  huge  sigh. 
"  But,  my  dear,  I  'm  most  careful.  And  I  make  men 
understand  that.  If  they  want  to  fall  in  love  with 
me,  all  right;  but  they  must  respect  me  because  I 
am  —  " 

"  A  virtuous  wife,"  suggested  Amy  softly. 

"  Er  —  yes.  Yes ;  that 's  it,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody, 
so  taken  back  that  for  several  moments  she  stared 
blankly  ahead,  without  a  word  to  say. 

"  And  Mrs.  Dellabarre  ?  "  said  Amy  pensively,  with 
a  significant  look  at  Irma,  who  was  bending  over  Tody 
Dawson.  "  Is  she  a  virtuous  wife  too?  " 

Mrs.  Lightbody  responded  by  raising  her  eyebrows. 

"  Irma  —  oh,  Irma  's  a  mystery.  Of  course,  I  don't 
mean  to  insinuate  anything  —  but  Irma 's  strange, 
very  strange  —  really,  don't  ask  me !  " 

At  the  end  of  a  moment,  Amy  burst  out  laughing. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at,  my  dear?  "  said  Kitty 
anxiously. 

"  Thinking  what  a  splendid  chaperon  I  'm  going 
to  be." 

"  My  dear,  I  suppose  you  thought  I  was  frightfully 
sniffy  last  night,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody,  who  had  a 
suspicion  that  her  companion  was  laughing  at  her  for 
some  reason  or  other  and  ascribed  it  to  a  desire  to  even 
up  the  score.  "  I  was ;  but  I  did  n't  know  who  you 
were,  did  I?  You  have  to  be  so  careful  with 
strangers." 

"  Oh,  naturally,"  said  Amy,  who  was  too  amused  to 


102  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

cherish  resentment1,  for,  by  this  time,  she  had  come  to 
perceive  Kitty  Lightbody'vS  place  as  a  foil  to  Irma  and 
Gladys  Challoner  - — -  a  Heavy  centerpiece,  diverting 
and  useful  for  the  purposes  of  contrast. 

"  But  you  must  n't  mind  me  —  it 's  just  my  way," 
continued  Mrs.  Lightbody,  whose  bad  manners  were 
instinctive.  "  Really,  I  admire  you,  my  dear,  and 
I  'm  sure  I  'm  going  to  like  you  enormously." 

"  Thank  you." 

"  And  I  hope  you  '11  like  me,"  added  Mrs.  Light- 
body,  who  gave  her  confidence  generously.  "  Every 
one  makes  the  goat  of  me,  but  I  don't  mind.  I  'm  for 
a  good  time  in  this  little  burg  —  a  short  life  but  a 
merry  one!  Don't  think  I  have  n't  had  my  trials  —  I 
have !  "  she  continued,  screaming  in  Amy's  ear  against 
the  whip  of  the  wind.  "  I  would  be  in  a  sanatorium 
now,  if  I  wanted  to  take  things  seriously.  But  what 's 
the  use  —  and,  then,  your  husband  is  n't  worse  than 
any  one  else's,  is  he?  What 's  the  use  of  quarreling? 
Let  him  go  his  way  and  you  go  yours.  I  'm  going  to 
enjoy  myself,  I  am !  " 

They  were  passing  out  of  the  open  country  into  the 
suburbs  of  New  York,  through  the  shanty  civilization 
of  mingled  hordes,  who  watched  the  swift  passage  of 
the  world  from  communal  flats,  with  tired,  memory- 
haunted  eyes,  hoping  for  the  day  when  they  too  would 
move  on.  Incompleted  factories;  frame  shelters  to 
let;  parceled  lots  shaggy  with  unkempt  grass  elbow 
to  elbow  with  pretentious  brick  stores;  garish  trim 
mings;  noise  and  confusion;  transitory  thrift  —  stag 
nant  acceptance  of  life  crowded  about  them  in  these 
multitudes  who  had  camped  the  day  before  and  would 
crowd  dustily  on  with  the  morrow. 

They  did  not  comprehend  poverty  or  have  the  illu- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  103 

minating  vision  which  sees  beyond  mediocrity  the 
climbing-  generations.  Poverty  and  mediocrity  of 
fended  their  delicate  nostrils  like  the  odor  of  some 
disfiguring  disease.  On  Amy  it  had  a  depressing 
effect  —  like  the  conjured  terrors  of  a  sermon.  Pov 
erty  existed  as  a  warning  —  the  harvest  of  evil.  It 
brought  her  closer  to  Andrew,  to  what  she  had 
dreamed  of  making  of  their  marriage.  While  Kitty 
was  rushing  on  torrentially,  she  was  peering  out  at  the 
soiled  children,  the  old  women  set  in  the  gaping  win 
dows,  the  bleakness  and  the  shiftlessness  that  rolled 
on  like  a  Gipsy  caravan. 

She  made  sudden  resolutions.  Her  husband  should 
never  be  to  her  like  Kitty  Lightbody's  or  Gladys  Chal- 
loner's.  What  she  did,  she  would  do  openly,  with  his 
full  knowledge.  A  little  season  of  youthful  extrava 
gance,  to  feel  the  fever  of  gaiety  and  to  grow  tired 
of  it.  Afterward  —  in  a  few  years  —  to  grow  into 
womanhood  and  responsibility.  It  was  right  that  she 
should  have  this  hour  —  her  woman's  hour.  Andrew 
understood  this  need  in  her  — 

But  all  at  once,  ahead,  the  great  Williamsburg 
Bridge,  with  its  electric  necklaces,  leaped  across  the 
melting  night.  Beyond  the  dusky,  rolling  river,  shot 
with  glowworms,  the  blazing  towers  of  New  York 
flamed  against  the  horizon ;  fiery  balls  of  light,  tossed 
above  the  theatric  flash  of  glass  palaces  which  reached 
upward  to  the  conquest  of  the  sky. 

"  Don't  you  love  it  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Lightbody  ecstati 
cally.  "  Don't  you  just  LOVE  it  ?  " 

They  glided  skilfully  among  concentrating  hordes, 
checked  and  held  in  new  multitudes,  multitudes  that 
had  the  feeling  of  the  mingled  East.  They  were 
caught  in  the  jam  of  the  holiday  hour,  surrounded  by 


104  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

wabbling  peddlers'  wagons,  Hebrew,  American,  and 
negro;  trucks  with  brawny,  half  naked  drivers; 
thronged  trolleys,  white  with  the  last  warmth  of  the 
summer;  long,  grim  funeral  processions  jogging  back 
to  life;  strident,  creaking  cars  packed  with  family 
parties;  mediocrity  everywhere  on  wheels,  happy,  hot, 
and  noisy,  eying  them  with  covetous  admiration  as 
they,  the  privileged  caste,  passed,  unrelated  and  irre 
sponsible,  through  the  churning,  struggling  crowd. 

They  did  not  see  the  soiled  present  at  their  sides  or 
divine  the  challenge  of  the  future.  Ahead,  across  the 
floating  span,  was  the  magic  of  the  night,  a  breathless, 
nervous  city  pursuing  the  phantom  of  pleasure  with 
the  same  dynamic  intensity  with  which,  during  the 
ugly  day,  it  had  scrambled  for  the  wealth  it  would 
leave  for  future  generations  to  enjoy.  The  tired 
masculine  day  was  over,  yielding  to  the  glittering, 
feminine  night,  and  in  the  hanging  gardens  of  the  air 
was  the  feeling  of  music  and  dancing.  The  night 
was  feminine ;  the  night  was  theirs.  Each  felt  a  quick 
ening  of  the  nerves,  an  awaking  appetite,  a  sudden  joy 
of  existence,  a  sense  of  possession  by  the  right  of  her 
position,  her  charm,  and  her  power.  All  the  extrava 
gance  of  pleasure,  all  the  multiple  electric  allurement 
to  the  eye,  the  singing  call  of  violins,  the  moving  color 
of  laughing  crowds  existed  for  them. 

Kitty  Lightbody,  rebel  against  a  life  of  monotony 
and  drudgery,  cried,  with  a  staccato  laugh : 

"  At  last !  My,  it 's  grand  to  have  just  one  good 
time!" 

They  passed  out  of  the  high  chill  of  the  river  into 
the  sudden  warm  breath  of  the  tenemented  city  and 
ran  down  to  the  Langdon  Hotel,  where  the  runabout 
was  waiting. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  105 

"  Gang  's  up-stairs,"  said  Laracy,  with  a  fat  flourish 
of  his  hand. 

Amy  sought  hungrily  through  the  crowd  in  the 
vestibule.  One  glance,  and  she  experienced  a  quiet 
satisfaction.  Beside  Mrs.  Challoner  was  Charlie  Par- 
dee,  a  slim,  blond  youth,  with  the  usual  flowing  hair 
and  pleasing  face,  unmarred  by  lines  of  heavy  thought ; 
Captain  Barrisdale,  an  Anglo-American  mining  Croe 
sus,  dark,  heavy-shouldered,  copiously  scented,  and 
receptively  handsome,  and  behind  them,  as  she  had 
divined  he  would  be  from  the  first,  Monte  Bracken. 


XII 

IMMEDIATELY  Amy  was  satisfied  that  Monte 
Bracken  would  be  there,  she  felt  a  sharp  return 
of  her  former  irritation.  She  gave  him  her  hand 
loosely,  turning  to  the  others,  who  were  already  dis 
cussing  new  plans  for  the  evening.  Dressing  was 
voted  a  bore,  the  conventional  restaurant  another  bore, 
theater  a  dreadful  bore,  and  slumming  the  only  real 
thing  to  do. 

"  Slumming  is  too  adorable !  "  claimed  Mrs.  Light- 
body,  bobbing  up  and  down  and  clapping  her  hands 
without  notice  of  the  staring  crowd.  "  I  just  adore 
slumming.  You  can  have  so  much  more  fun  when 
nobody  's  watching!  " 

They  dined  at  a  beer-garden  in  Harlem,  amused 
themselves  noisily  at  a  melodrama  in  the  Grand  Opera 
House,  until  warned  by  the  management,  and  came 
down  Broadway,  dipping  into  chop-suey  restaurants, 
flashy  cabarets,  and  shoddy  dance  halls.  At  two 
o'clock,  after  this  profound  study  of  the  habits  of 
the  unexplored  races  which  live  about  Fifty-ninth 
Street,  they  returned  to  civilization,  for  a  little  breath 
ing  spell  at  a  roof  garden. 

"  Hello,"  said  Mrs.  Challoner,  who  was  ahead,  "  if 
here  are  n't  our  husbands !  " 

Challoner,  a  strapping  coal  miner,  pitchforked  into 
society  by  the  genius  of  a  masterful  father,  greeted 
her  without  surprise. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  107 

"Sober?"  said  Mrs.  Challoner,  raising  her  eye 
brows. 

"  Fairly." 

"  Amusing  yourself?  " 

"  So-so." 

"  Want  us  to  clear  out  ?  " 

"  No ;  we  're  quite  respectable  —  are  n't  you  ?  " 

"  Good  Lord,  friend  husband  —  would  n't  you  know 
it?"  exclaimed  Kitty,  in  whispered  anguish  to  Amy. 
"  For  heaven's  sake  hang  on  to  the  captain,  or  there  '11 
be  murder !  "  With  a  rapid  motion,  she  attached  her 
self  to  Laracy's  arm,  who,  after  a  start  of  surprise, 
being  a  wide-awake  young  gentleman,  comprehended 
the  role  he  was  to  play. 

The  meeting  of  the  Lightbodys  was  simplicity  itself. 

"  Hello,  what  are  you  doing  here?  " 

"  Hope  I  'm  not  in  your  way,  Ted  dear." 

"  You  ?    No.     Why  should  you  ?  " 

He  nodded  affably  to  the  rest,  and  followed  Chal 
loner  back  to  their  party  in  an  opposite  box  —  a  thin, 
middle-aged,  bow-legged,  horsy  man,  quite  bald  and 
world-weary. 

*  Touching  family  reunion,"  said  Bracken  medita 
tively.  "  And  there  is  still  a  blue  law  forbidding  hus 
bands  to  kiss  their  wives  in  public." 

"  What  an  awful  moment !  "  said  Amy,  who,  con 
vinced  by  Mrs.  Lightbody's  agitation,  was  awaiting  a 
touch  of  melodrama.  "  What  will  she  tell  him  ?  " 

"I  say,  Amy  —  you  are  green!"  said  Tody  Daw- 
son,  from  his  superior  worldly  wisdom.  "  Ted  Light- 
body  care  what  Kitty  does  ?  That 's  a  good  one !  " 
He  went  off  into  a  roar  of  laughter. 

"  But  then  —  " 

"  Oh,  that 's  just  Kitty's  way  of  appearing  devilish !  " 


io8  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Dancing  this  with  me,  are  n't  you?  "  said  Captain 
Barrisdale,  stalking  up. 

"  Under  orders?  "  said  Amy,  with  a  laugh. 

The  captain  was  not  a  subtle  person. 

"  Been  dying  to  break  away  the  whole  evening," 
he  said,  with  a  killing  glance.  "  I  say,  you  dance  like 
an  angel." 

"Look  out;  I'll  tell  on  you." 

"  Good  heavens,  no !  Kitty  would  give  me  a  beastly 
dressing  down,"  he  said  hastily.  "I  say,  you  would  n't 
do  that.  You  're  too  good  a  sport.  By  George,  I 
could  dance  all  night  with  you !  " 

"  Better  not." 

"  Say  the  word,  and  I  'm  game,"  he  said  rashly. 

:<  You  are  direct,  are  n't  you  ?  "  she  said,  leading 
him  on. 

:<  Yes;  I  don't  take  long  to  make  up  my  mind."  He 
added  pointedly,  "  I  've  been  watching  you." 

"And  you  never  are  disappointed?" 

"  Eh,  what  ?  Oh,  I  see  you  're  making  fun  of  me," 
he  said,  in  short  breaths,  for  the  task  of  guiding  her 
through  the  whirling  crowd  was  an  ordeal. 

"Clever  man!" 

"  Look  here ;  suppose  we  sit  this  out." 

"  Thought  you  could  dance  all  night  with  me" 

He  laughed  and  stopped  short. 

"  I  like  you ;  you  've  got  spirit.  Sit  down  here  a 
moment."  He  turned  and  stared  at  her.  "  Have  I 
met  you  before?  Tell  me  about  yourself.  What  are 
you  —  married,  divorced,  or  a  widow  ?  " 

"  You  must  be  awfully  rich,"  she  said,  demurely. 

"  Why?  Oh,  I  see!  No  offense.  I  just  wanted  to 
know." 

"  Ask  Kitty,  then."  . 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  109 

He  made  a  wry  face. 

"  Look  here ;  you  don't  think  I  'm  in  love  with  Kitty 
Lightbody  now?  " 

"  No;  you  could  n't  be.     You  're  a  married  man." 

He  looked  at  her  a  long  moment,  studying  her,  not 
used  to  an  attitude  of  opposition  in  the  women  he 
condescended  to  admire. 

"  I  can't  make  you  out,"  he  said,  frowning. 

"  Perhaps  I  'm  divorced." 

"  I  wish  you  were." 

"  Heavens,  how  rapid  you  are !  Look  out ;  Kitty  's 
watching  you !  " 

"  Look  here,"  he  said,  "  if  you  don't  believe  I  say 
what  I  mean,  ride  back  to  Chilton  with  me  in  my  car." 

She  stood  up,  laughing,  as  another  dance  began. 

"Will  you?" 

"  Tell  you  later,"  she  said  evasively.  If  Mrs.  Light- 
body  wished  to  use  her  as  a  screen,  she  could  take  the 
consequences. 

Mrs.  Lightbody,  who  had,  in  fact,  watched  them 
with  growing  anxiety,  greeted  them  with  a  marked 
petulance. 

"  Joe,  come  right  away  from  that  designing  blond 
young  woman !  You  're  entirely  too  attentive/' 

"  Captain  Barrisdale  has  followed  your  orders  splen 
didly,"  said  Amy  slowly. 

"What  orders?" 

"  Why,  did  n't  you  tell  him  to  make  love  to  me?  " 

Barrisdale  pulled  at  his  mustache  and  shot  her  an 
imploring  glance  from  under  his  tufted  eyebrows. 

"  Well,  Joe,  the  joke  's  on  you,"  said  Mrs.  Light- 
body  acidly,  "  and  serves  you  right,  too,  wasting  your 
time  on  a  bride !  " 

Barrisdale,  overcome  at  this  revelation,  murmured 


no  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

something  inaudible  amid  the  laugh  which  arose  at 
his  expense,  while  Mrs.  Challoner  examined  Amy 
with  more  care,  recognizing  an  ability  to  defend 
herself. 

Tiernan's,  where  they  next  entered  as  the  clock  was 
striking  three,  finally  satisfied  their  craving  for  Bo 
hemia,  with  its  hilarity,  its  banks  of  acrid  smoke,  its 
explosive  laughter,  and  its  flashing  beauties. 

"Don't  you  just  adore  it?"  said  Kitty  excitedly. 
"  Did  you  ever  see  such  people !  Oh,  Lord,  what  good 
times  men  do  have !  " 

Freed  from  the  censureship  of  social  eyes  and  a 
little  excited,  she  began  to  grow  kittenish,  in  a  deter 
mined  effort  to  rival  the  formidable  youth  of  Amy 
Forrester.  Mrs.  Challoner,  with  her  impenetrable, 
smiling  calm,  sipping  her  glass  of  champagne,  frowned 
significantly. 

"Kitty,  be  careful!" 

"  A  short  life  but  a  merry  one !  "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Lightbody  recklessly,  looking  around  with  thirsty 
eyes.  She  gathered  in  every  tribute,  even  to  the  mean 
est,  to  the  slanted  glances  of  the  heavy- jowled  dancers, 
to  the  stares  of  the  ratty  waiters,  crediting  all  to  her 
personal  account.  "  I  'm  just  waking  up.  Look  to 
yourself,  Gladys !  " 

The  caution  did  not  apply  to  Mrs.  Challoner.  At 
most,  on  the  sculptured  white  cheeks,  a  tongue  of  red 
showed  and  in  the  eyes  a  sparkle  of  gathering  excite 
ment.  To  Amy,  she  was,  and  always  remained,  a 
complete  mystery. 

"  She  looks  as  though  she  had  just  come  out  of  the 
ice-box,"  she  thought  to  herself.  "  Is  she  capable  of 
emotion  ?  What  attracts  men  to  her  ?  "  Mrs.  Chal 
loner  had  a  high-bred  disdain  of  the  crowd,  a  fastidi- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  in 

ous  air  of  perpetually  looking  down  on  some  one. 
Amy  remembered  Morley's  description  of  her  former 
mistress  and  wondered.  What  was  she  like  in  her  own 
home,  when  the  front  door  had  been  closed  for  the 
night. 

The  sounds  of  rising  laughter,  the  whirling,  breath 
less  swaying  of  the  dancers,  the  staccato  music, 
glances  and  whispers  divined  the  awakening  of  the 
primitive  savage,  the  spectacle  of  this  boisterous  re 
laxation  aroused  in  her  the  appetite  for  movement. 
She  danced  ceaselessly,  never  tired,  never  visibly  ex 
cited.  Once  Amy  caught  a  glimpse  of  what  burned 
beneath  the  surface  —  a  sudden  glance  in  her  direc 
tion  when  Charlie  Pardee  was  lingering  beyond  the 
needs  of  strict  politeness.  He  saw  it,  and  left  her  in 
stantly  and  docilely. 

"If  I  were  a  man,"  thought  Amy,  remembering 
the  look,  "  I  should  never  fall  in  love  with  her.  I 
should  n't  dare !  " 

She  would  have  liked  to  discuss  her  with  Monte 
Bracken.  Up  to  now,  it  had  amused  him  to  acquiesce 
in  the  attitude  of  indifference  she  had  assumed 
towards  him. 

She  resented  this,  as  she  had  resented  everything 
he  had  done  or  left  undone.  Nevertheless,  she  was 
always  conscious  of  his  presence,  whether  she  followed 
him  in  the  tangle  of  the  dancers  or  caught  the  frag 
ments  of  his  conversation  with  Irma,  fragments  which 
came  to  her  through  the  jumble  of  the  strident  even 
ing.  She  watched  the  two  covertly,  wondering  how 
deep  his  interest  went,  resenting  the  intimacy  of  their 
conversation. 

"  He  thinks  I  'm  too  much  of  a  child  to  put  himself 
out,"  she  thought  irritably.  When  he  should  ask  her 


Ii2  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

to  dance,  as  finally  he  must,  she  would  refuse  curtly, 
with  some  sharp  answer  which  would  bring  him  to  a 
realization  of  her  displeasure. 

He  rose,  at  last,  and  approached  where  she  sat  on 
the  fringe  of  the  rushing  crowd.  A  little  gleam  came 
into  her  eyes. 

"  Mrs.  Forrester?  "  he  said,  bowing. 

She  turned,  as  though  in  surprise. 

"Yes?" 

"  May  I  give  you  the  opportunity  of  refusing  to 
dance  this  with  me,"  he  said,  looking  good-humoredly 
into  her  eyes. 

"  Why  ?  "  she  said,  taken  back. 

"  Because  you  will  refuse." 

She  got  up  suddenly. 

"Let's  dance!" 

He  obeyed. 

"  If  only  he  did  n't  dance  so  divinely,"  she  thought, 
as  the  next  moment  they  glided  surely  and  dexterously 
through  the  dancers,  avoiding  the  lumbering  heavy 
ships  which  bore  down  on  them.  All  at  once,  a  mem 
ory  of  what  he  had  told  her  came  into  her  mind. 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  abroad  ?  " 

"  I  am  —  day  after  to-morrow." 

All  her  antagonism  left  her.  She  did  not  know  why, 
but  the  knowledge  that  he  was  leaving,  that  he  would 
go  out  of  her  life,  changed  everything.  He  was 
going  —  that  was  the  essential  thing. 

"  I  've  been  trying  to  snub  you,  but  you  would  n't 
let  me,"  she  said  gently. 

"  Because  I  guessed  too  much?  " 

"  I  don't  admit  you  guessed  right,"  she  said,  laugh 
ing  in  some  confusion.  "  However,  I  've  been  horrid. 
Forgive  me?  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  113 

"  I  had  n't  noticed  it,"  he  said  pleasantly. 

"  He  does  n't  the  least  care  what  I  do,"  she  thought 
angrily.  "  He  thinks  I  am  throwing  myself  at  him 
like  a  hundred  other  women.  I  am  a  little  idiot." 

In  a  moment,  she  stopped  him. 

"  Floor  's  really  too  crowded  —  and  beside,  you 
don't  enjoy  dancing  like  this." 

"  It  is  crowded." 

When  she  came  to  her  seat  at  the  table,  she  looked 
at  him  with  a  smile,  which  she  was  far  from  feeling. 

"  Don't  be  polite.    Go  back  to  Mrs.  Dellabarre." 

Laracy  passed;  she  summoned  him  and  returned 
into  the  crush  again.  But  this  pointed  revenge 
brought  her  no  satisfaction.  Why  had  she  accepted 
the  dance  with  him?  Why  had  she  sought  to  excuse 
herself  and,  above  all,  what  had  possessed  her  to  show 
her  ill-humor?  He  was  sitting  beside  Irma  —  she 
could  see  him  from  time  to  time  —  and  he  did  not  even 
take  the  pains  to  notice  what  she  did. 

She  began  to  flirt  openly  with  the  other  men,  toler 
ating  even  Barrisdale,  trespassing  recklessly,  feeling 
that  in  the  smile  she  gave  another  she  was  punishing 
him. 

In  truth,  her  success  was  easy,  for  she  was  the  only 
one  to  whom  pleasure  was  young.  To  her,  it  was  not 
a  mental  intoxicant  but  a  natural  impulse.  This  rush 
ing  progress  from  restaurant  to  restaurant,  this  de 
light  of  music  and  rhythmic  motion,  the  hundred  little 
episodes  which  sent  them  into  peals  of  laughter,  were 
all  of  the  sparkling  surface.  She  saw  nothing  below 
the  sheen  of  pleasure,  neither  the  flight  from  boredom 
nor  the  lurking  shadows  of  covetousness  and  frenzy. 
To  her,  this  world  was  really  young  and  gay  and 
happy,  and,  eager  as  a  child,  she  succeeded  in  corn- 


ii4  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

municating  something  of  this  illusion  to  the  rest. 
When  five  o'clock  arrived,  and  the  moment  for  the 
flight  before  the  dawn,  she  gave  a  cry  of  disap 
pointment. 

"What  — already?" 

The  chagrin  of  her  exclamation  was  so  unconscious 
that  even  Mrs.  Challoner  laughed.  Barrisdale,  to 
whom  this  riotous  sense  of  youth  was  peculiarly  ap 
pealing,  found  a  moment,  as  they  were  entering  the 
automobile,  to  whisper  in  her  ear: 

"  Joke  's  on  me  —  this  time.  Never  mind ;  I  don't 
forget,  and  I  can  wait." 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  she  said,  laughing.  He 
was  too  clumsy  to  inspire  fear,  a  true  crocodile,  as 
Irma  expressed  it. 

"  Next  year,  we  '11  meet  again,"  he  said  pointblank, 
"  and  then  you  may  not  be  so  indifferent." 

She  frowned,  turned  her  shoulder,  and  sprang  into 
the  car. 

"  What  a  stupid,  heavy  person!  "  she  thought.  "  I 
suppose  he  's  had  too  much." 

Would  Bracken  come  in  the  car  with  them,  she 
wondered,  looking  back.  There  was  a  moment's  whis 
pered  consultation  between  Mrs.  Challoner  and  Mrs. 
Dellabarre,  who  immediately  announced: 

"  Monte  and  I  '11  try  the  runabout.  Meet  you  at 
Garden  City." 

The  racing  car,  with  Irma  swallowed  up  in  furs, 
shot  out,  leading  the  way.  It  was  still  murky;  the 
streets  were  abandoned,  the  lamps  sickly  in  the  dawn 
which  came  oozing  heavily  over  the  housetops.  As 
they  left  the  city  and  rose  lightly  over  the  spanned 
river,  the  early  truck  wagons  loomed  at  their  sides, 
redolent  of  the  country.  A  child  lay  asleep  on  a  heap 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  115 

of  vegetables.  Horses  plodded  ahead  in  somnam 
bulistic  fantasy  with  drowsy  drivers.  Gray  vapors 
curled  along  the  water  front  in  the  drifting  confusion 
of  sky  and  earth.  In  the  car  they  began  to  sing  to 
keep  up  their  spirits  against  the  cold  bite  of  strange 
hours. 

"  By  George,  Amy,  you  've  got  more  life  than  the 
whole  crowd !  "  said  Tody,  under  his  breath.  "  They 
are  n't  within  a  mile  of  you." 

"What  — none?" 

"  Not  one.  Well,  you  Ve  got  me.  When  you  want 
me  just  whistle,"  he  added,  with  a  laugh.  "  I  'm 
bowled  over." 

"  You  're  a  nice  boy,  Tody !  "  she  said,  lightly  pat 
ting  his  arm,  without  thinking  of  what  she  heard. 

The  next  moment  there  came  a  shriek  from  behind. 
The  motor  ground  to  a  stop.  Kitty  Lightbody  sol 
emnly  descended. 

"  Kitty,  what  in  heaven's  name  is  the  matter  with 
you  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Challoner,  who  was  sleepy  and  cross. 

"  If  he  wants  to  devote  himself  to  you,"  said  Kitty, 
with  a  toss  of  her  head,  "  let  him !  " 

"  What?  Who?  Is  it  Joe?  Good  heavens,  she  's 
jealous." 

"  Kitty,  come  back;  we  all  love  you,"  said  Laracy. 

Mrs.  Lightbody,  camped  in  the  middle  of  the 
Jericho  Turnpike  at  five  in  the  morning,  sulkily  re 
fused  to  budge. 

"  Well,  see  here,"  said  Laracy,  rising  as  the  diplo 
mat  ;  "  fix  it  this  way.  Kitty  shall  sit  in  the  middle. 
You  don't  mind,  do  you,  Gladys  ?  " 

"  Mind  ?  I  should  say  not !  What  do  you  suppose 
I  care  about  old  Joe  Barrisdale !  "  said  Mrs.  Challoner 
sharply.  This  sally  raised  a  laugh  not  at  all  to  the 


n6  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

enjoyment  of  the  captain.  "  Kitty,  stop  being  a  fool 
and  get  in  this  minute.  Joe  Barrisdale,  what  are  you 
sitting  there  for?  Jump  out  and  bring  her  back." 

Mrs.  Lightbody,  being  properly  coaxed,  cajoled, 
and  threatened,  consented  to  return,  and,  having  re 
turned,  presently  began  to  nod,  to  the  delight  of  Mrs. 
Challoner  and  the  captain,  who  made  pantomimic  love 
before  her  closed  eyes. 

On  the  pike,  just  beyond  Garden  City,  they  found 
the  runabout  waiting. 

"  Here,  Gladys,"  said  Irma,  calmly  bundling  out, 
"  you  take  my  place.  Monte  's  cold  and  sleepy  and 
perfectly  unbearable.  We  Ve  been  quarreling  all  the 
way." 

Amy  glanced  at  Monte  Bracken,  who  was  handing 
her  into  the  car.  If  they  had  been  quarreling,  his  face 
did  not  show  it. 

"  Well,  it  ?s  good-by,"  he  said,  taking  off  his  hat  and 
offering  his  hand. 

'  You  're  really  sailing  Saturday  —  lucky  man !  " 
said  Kitty  drowsily. 

"  Really  off." 

He  shook  hands  with  Amy,  without  either  indiffer 
ence  or  interest,  and  returned  to  the  runabout.  For  a 
while,  the  two  machines  ran  on  together.  Then,  at  a 
fork  in  the  road,  the  runabout  shot  away  and  passed 
from  sight. 

"  So  much  for  that,"  said  Amy  to  herself,  "  and 
perhaps  just  as  well." 

A  feeling  of  comfortable  virtue  succeeded.  She 
remembered  Andrew.  What  a  lot  she  would  have  to 
tell  him! 

At  six,  just  as  the  sun  bobbed  up  over  the  hori 
zon,  they  ran  up  to  the  house.  A  window  shade 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  117 

went  up,  and  the  bushy  little  head  of  Mr.  Dellabarre 
appeared. 

"There's  Rudy!"  said  Irma,  waving  gaily.  Her 
glance  met  his  and  turned  away.  How  long  had  he 
been  up  and  what  was  in  his  mind  ? 

They  went  stamping  and  laughing  into  the  dining 
room  and  sent  out  a  foraging  party  for  breakfast. 

"What  let's  do?"  said  Laracy.  "Time  for  a 
bunny-hug  before  the  coffee.  Who  's  game  ?  " 

"Come  on,"  said  Amy,  springing  up;  "I'm  just 
waking  up !  " 

"  Mercy  sakes !  "  said  Kitty  Lightbody,  heavy-eyed. 

She  rose  with  a  sigh,  and  held  out  her  hand  to  the 
captain,  who  was  yawning  surreptitiously,  but  when, 
breakfast  over,  her  young  rival  declared  it  was  no  use 
thinking  of  sleep  at  such  an  hour,  she  threw  up  her 
hands  in  despair  and  retreated  to  her  bedroom. 

"  Good  night,  children  —  not  too  much  noise.  I 
have  my  complexion  to  think  of,"  said  Mrs.  Della 
barre,  with  a  laugh,  and,  after  a  sleepy  struggle,  Bar- 
risdale  shook  his  head  and  likewise  surrendered,  while 
Youth  triumphant,  in  the  beaming  figure  of  Jap  Lar 
acy,  was  asking: 

"  What  now  ?  Amy  's  game !  Bridge,  a  spin  in  the 
machine,  or  a  dash  on  the  ponies?" 


XIII 

WHEN  flushed  with  a  gallop  in  the  glow  of  the 
morning,  the  three  came  riotously  back,  An 
drew,  who  had  been  traveling  half  the  night  to  reach 
her,  was  waiting  up-stairs.  Amy  threw  herself  in  his 
arms,  laughing  like  a  child. 

"  Oh,  Andrew,  such  a  good  time !  Wait  until  you 
hear!" 

She  told  him  all  breathlessly,  that  is,  almost  all. 
She  made  no  reference  to  the  one  disagreeable  mem 
ory  of  the  night,  Barrisdale's  heavy  overtures.  She 
had  handled  such  boors  before,  even  as  a  debutante, 
and  there  was  no  use  in  telling  him  things  which  would 
annoy  him.  Then  Monte  Bracken's  presence  was  not 
her  secret.  At  the  end,  his  face  was  radiant. 

"  Beat  them  to  a  finish,  Yum  Yum !  Go  it,  and 
mind  you  sweep  the  decks  every  time !  " 

"  Andrew,  what  a  darling  you  are !  " 

"  And  now  for  business.  I  Ve  agreed  to  take  up 
Gunther's  proposition." 

He  began  a  long  detailed  exposition  of  the  possi 
bilities  of  the  new  venture.  From  his  face  she  could 
see  the  gravity  of  the  step  to  him.  So  she  tried  hard 
to  comprehend  the  details  he  minutely  explained  to 
her.  But  she  was  too  mentally  excited  and  too  phys 
ically  tired.  She  understood  nothing  at  all,  only  that, 
some  day  soon,  they  would  have  lots  of  money  if  cer 
tain  things  worked  out.  When  he  had  finished,  she 
embraced  him  rapturously. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  119 

"  Is  n't  it  wonderful  ?  "  she  cried,  still  perplexed. 
"  But,  Andrew,  you  must  n't  work  too  hard  — 
promise." 

"  I  promise,"  he  said  grimly,  his  mind  filled  with 
dreams  of  the  gilded  future  in  which  all  his  hopes 
would  come  true. 

She  went  into  her  bath  quite  satisfied  by  this 
assurance. 

Three  weeks  later  in  the  vast  span  of  the  Grand 
Central  Station,  quite  a  party  gathered  to  see  Andrew 
Forrester  off  to  Mexico.  It  was  still  ten  minutes  be 
fore  the  train's  departure.  Mrs.  Lightbody  and  Mrs. 
Dellabarre,  with  Dawson,  Laracy,  and  young  Pardee, 
hung  back  discreetly,  while  Amy,  tiny  and  fragile 
against  the  broad  shoulders  of  her  husband,  walked 
with  him  down  the  platform. 

Filkins,  the  private  secretary,  who  was  to  accom 
pany  him,  came  up  briskly. 

"  Everything  in  place  ?  " 

"  Everything,  Mr.  Forrester." 

"Get  all  the  evening  papers — and  some  magazines." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

A  late  arrival  came  running  down  the  platform; 
Filkins  flitted  away. 

"  I  can't  bear  to  let  you  go  alone,"  said  Amy,  cling 
ing  to  his  arm.  "  I  don't  think  it 's  right,  Andrew  — 
I  don't." 

There  was  a  break  in  her  voice,  and  her  eyes  grew 
misty.  She  had  come  down  gaily,  after  a  merry 
luncheon,  and  now,  all  at  once,  before  the  grim  mys 
tery  of  life's  parting,  this  grinning  mask  that  con 
fronted  her,  she  felt  a  sinking  in  her  heart,  a  terror  of 
unknown  things. 


120  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Why,  little  girl,  it 's  only  a  jump  there  and  back 
this  time.  Only  a  week  or  two,"  he  said,  patting  her 
arm.  He  looked  at  her,  detecting  the  gathering  tears. 
"  Here,  here;  it 's  not  so  bad  as  all  that." 

"  Oh,  but  it 's  the  first  time !  "  she  said  incoherently, 
swaying  against  his  shoulder.  "  Andrew,  Andrew, 
we  ought  n't  to  be  separated.  I  feel  it.  I  know  it.  My 
duty  's  with  you." 

"  Well,  perhaps  next  time." 

She  looked  up  into  his  face,  fear  and  helplessness 
in  her  eyes. 

"What  is  it,  little  girl?" 

*  Then  you  think  I  ought  to  have  gone  with  you  ? 
Andrew,  Andrew,  tell  me  the  truth." 

"  Of  course  I  don't,"  he  said  stoutly. 

"  I  will  —  I  '11  jump  on  the  car  now  —  just  as  I 
am,"  she  said,  under  the  hypnotic  terror  of  all  this 
flurry  of  coming  and  going,  this  sense  of  looming  un 
explored  horizons  of  life  ahead  —  and  behind. 

He  drew  his  arm  tighter  about  her  and  bent  sud 
denly,  careless  who  saw  them,  to  seek  her  lips. 

"  Of  course  it 's  only  a  couple  of  weeks,  is  n't  it?  " 
she  said  heavily,  at  the  end  of  the  long  embrace  that 
shut  out  the  shrieking  confusion  about  them. 

"  Perhaps  not  that,"  he  said,  lying  to  comfort  her, 
for  her  grief  affected  him,  too.  "  I  say  —  do  you 
think  you  'd  better  wait,  Amy  dear  ?  It 's  sort  of  bad 
luck,  seeing  the  train  off." 

"  No,  no ;  I  can't  leave  —  not  now  —  please  don't 
ask  that  of  me." 

"All  right,  then.  Better  now?"  He  drew  her 
back  to  the  group  of  friends  who  pressed  up  for  the 
last  farewells.  "  Good-by,  every  one  —  good-by,  Mrs. 
Lightbody  —  good-by,  boys  —  good-by,  Mrs.  Delia- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  121 

barre  —  mighty  good  of  you  to  see  me  off.  I  say, 
cheer  up  my  little  girl,  will  you?  Don't  let  her  get 
too  lonely."  He  caught  up  Amy,  lifting  her  almost 
off  her  feet,  laughing.  "  Back  in  a  fortnight,  per 
haps — 

And  the  train  was  already  in  motion  as  he  caught 
the  step. 

She  stood  with  her  handkerchief  waving  feebly  in 
the  air  as  the  train  wound  out  in  snaky  flight, 
dwindled,  and  was  gone. 

"  Partings  are  awful.  I  can't  bear  them/'  she  said, 
gulping  down  a  sob. 

"  I  know.  I  feel  the  same  way  every  summer.  It 's 
quite  natural,  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  who  had 
waited  by  her.  She  had  never  had  such  an  emotion 
when  leaving  Rudolph,  and  yet,  she  was  rather  af 
fected  by  her  friend's  distress.  She  linked  her  arm 
under  Amy's,  murmuring  sympathetically,  "  What  a 
child  it  is !  " 

In  order  that  Mrs.  Forrester  should  not  languish  in 
teary  solitude,  they  danced  in  the  newest  dance  hall, 
dined,  and  arrived  for  the  second  act  of  a  musical 
comedy.  At  two  o'clock,  as  Amy  declared,  if  she  went 
home,  she  would  n't  sleep  a  wink,  they  decided  to  make 
a  night  of  it.  Tody  Dawson  was  devotion  itself,  so 
kind  and  so  solicitous  that  Amy,  in  her  gratitude,  gave 
him  a  compensating  smile  —  he  really  was  the  dearest 
boy. 

In  a  week,  her  days  were  crowded  with  engage 
ments,  her  nights  brilliant  with  sensations  that  were 
still  young  to  her.  To  be  out,  to  be  seen,  to  be  envied, 
sought  after,  adopted,  and  raised  to  the  giddy  pinnacle 
of  a  new  favorite  seemed  to  her  the  height  of  a 
woman's  destiny.  In  a  month,  she  belonged  to  so- 


122  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

ciety  —  to  men  in  the  aggregate,  to  the  mass  and  the 
public  eye,  avid  of  the  latest  novelty. 

"  Andrew  will  be  so  proud  of  me,"  she  thought  loy 
ally,  in  her  moments  of  triumph,  as  though,  in  serving 
his  vanity,  she  were  performing  her  whole  duty  of  a 
wife. 


PART  II 


PART  II 
I 

"T7IGHTEEN  months  later,  on  a  brilliant  morning 
^-^  in  April,  when  in  the  sky  the  gray  winter  fled  be 
fore  the  triumphant  rush  of  spring,  Mr.  Tody  Daw- 
son,  after  a  late  night,  awoke  to  the  consciousness  that 
a  disagreeable  morning  was  ahead.  A  college  degree 
from  one  of  our  modern  gymnasiums  had  brought 
him  the  classic  privilege  of  a  university  club,  where  the 
necessary  luxuries  of  life  are  obtainable  to  the  im 
pecunious  crowd.  Pigeonholed  in  a  compartment 
twelve  by  ten  on  the  eleventh  shelf  of  this  human  filing 
machine,  he  enjoyed  not  only  the  services  of  a  valet, 
a  squash  court,  a  restaurant,  a  library,  and  the  fatten 
ing  opportunities  of  the  card  rooms  but,  by  resorting 
to  the  free-lunch  counter  on  the  rare  occasions  when 
he  failed  to  be  fed  socially,  he  was  able  to  support  a 
racing  car  and  frequent  the  most  exclusive  tailors  and 
haberdashers.  Ordinarily  of  smiling  humor  and 
serene  self-complacency,  he  rose  this  morning  angry 
at  the  complex  scheme  of  things  in  general  and  at  Mr. 
Tody  Dawson  in  particular. 

u  What  got  into  me,  anyway?"  he  said,  staring  at 
the  reflection  of  his  elongated  and  bony  figure  clad  in 
lavender  pajamas.  "  Good  Lord,  I  should  have  known 
better !  It  was  that  tricky  music,  or  perhaps  the  punch. 
I  don't  know  which.  Well,  I  'm  in  for  it  —  that 's 
sure." 


126  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

A  shower  did  not  relieve  either  his  ill-humor  or  the 
ache  in  his  head.  Everything  went  wrong.  He  had 
forgotten  to  put  out  his  boots,  the  new  spring  suit  he 
had  intended  to  wear  had  not  been  returned  from  the 
tailor,  though  they  had  sworn  an  oath  on  it.  To  cap 
which,  despite  twenty-five  years  of  subjugation,  his 
hair  had  developed  sudden  rebellions  which  defied  the 
brush. 

He  was  in  this  state  of  irritation  and  misery  when 
Jap  Laracy  burst  in,  fresh  as  a  schoolgirl,  a  flower  in 
his  buttonhole,  ready  for  breakfast  and  the  day.  At 
Dawson's  disheveled  appearance,  he  stopped  short  and 
emitted  a  whistle  of  surprise. 

"  Hello,  there !  A  little  Katzen jammer?  "  he  said, 
amused,  as  a  best  friend  has  the  right  to  be  at  the  evi 
dence  of  the  morning's  headache.  "  It 's  a  lovely 
day." 

"  Is  it?  "  said  Dawson,  with  a  groan. 

"  How  late  did  you  stay  in  that  pirate's  game  ?  " 

"  Too  late." 

"Cleaned  out?" 

"  How  do  I  know  ? "  said  Dawson,  sitting  down 
and  taking  his  head  in  his  hands. 

Laracy,  overjoyed  at  this  answer,  immediately 
searched  among  the  furniture  until,  having  retrieved 
the  scattered  elements  of  last  night's  clothes,  he  could 
assemble  the  contents  of  the  pockets. 

"  Here,  I  say  —  three  cheers !  You  're  stuffed  with 
bills,  my  boy.  Lucky  at  cards,  unlucky  at  love." 

"  Oh,  shut  up,  Jap !  "  said  Dawson  glumly.  "  Can't 
you  see  I  'm  feeling  rotten  ?  "  He  hesitated.  "  Make 
my  excuses  at  the  office.  I  can't  get  down  this 
morning." 

"Something  wrong,   old  boy?"   said  Laracy,   his 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  127 

round,  untragic  face  assuming  a  look  of  sympathy 
which  made  it  more  comical  than  ever. 

"  I  've  made  a  mess  of  things,  and  I  've  got  to 
straighten  them  out." 

"Amy?"  said  Laracy,  who  was  confidant  to  the 
little  ills  of  his  heart. 

"  I  can't  tell  you,"  said  Dawson,  who  suddenly  con 
centrated  all  his  anger  on  a  cuff  button  which  refused 
to  be  subdued,  cursing  it  in  a  way  to  have  won  the 
admiration  of  a  hardened  stage  manager. 

Laracy  installed  himself  on  the  back  of  an  armchair, 
drawing  up  his  legs,  and  looked  solemn. 

1  Tody  Dawson,  for  the  two  hundred  and  twoty- 
twoth  time  —  cut  it  out !  There  's  nothing  in  it,  my 
boy.  Are  you  going  to  fool  away  all  your  chances? 
Don't  you  know  the  game  you  're  playing?  " 

"  Oh,  it 's  all  right  for  you  to  talk,  you  unsenti 
mental  jellyfish,"  said  Dawson,  shaking  off  a  collar 
which  refused  to  button. 

"  Quite  right  —  and  watch  where  I  land,"  said 
Laracy,  not  in  the  least  offended.  "  My  dear  fellow, 
make  love  to  them  if  you  wish  —  bless  their  hearts, 
they  're  so  grateful !  —  but  don't  go  and  fool  yourself. 
Good  Lord,  has  n't  Irma  trained  you  better  ?  Don't 
you  know  the  bunch  you  're  playing  with  ?  So  you 
think  you  're  madly,  hopelessly  in  love  with  Amy 
Forrester,  do  you  —  you  great  big  calf  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Lord,  I  don't  know !  "  said  Dawson,  adjusting 
a  pink  tie  with  nicety.  "  Don't  ask  me." 

"  Go  down  Fifth  Avenue,  stop  at  any  hair-dressing 
parlor,  and  make  love  to  the  first  wax  beauty  in  the 
window,"  said  Laracy  crushingly.  "  You  '11  be  better 
off.  Buck  up,  Tody !  Life  's  a  long  way  to  travel 
and  there  's  a  lot  of  bills  to  pay."  For  a  moment  he 


128  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

was  silent,  impressed  with  this  momentous  truth ;  then 
he  added  solicitously :  "  Don't  make  a  colossal  ass  of 
yourself !  Why,  boy,  you  've  a  chance  right  under 
your  nose  —  a  dozen  fellows  fighting  for  her !  A  dear 
little  thing,  that 's  ready  to  fall  into  your  arms,"  he 
continued  vehemently,  evidently  referring  to  some 
eligible  young  lady  captivated  by  Dawson's  accom 
plishments,  for  he  added :  "  Make  hay  —  make  hay 
while  the  sun  shines.  This  dancing  craze  is  n't  im 
mortal,  you  know !  " 

"  I  say,  you  're  consoling !  " 

"  I  'm  giving  you  straight  talk,"  said  Laracy  obsti 
nately.  "Well?  No  confidence  this  morning?  " 

"  Can't  tell  you  anything  —  now,"  said  Dawson, 
looking  out  of  the  window. 

"  At  your  service,"  said  Laracy,  who  saluted  and 
departed. 

At  noon,  Dawson,  who  had  tried  fifty  ways  to  cheat 
the  clock,  descended  to  the  street  and  bolted  into  a 
taxicab. 

"  Beg  pardon,  Mr.  Dawson,  any  number?"  asked 
the  Buttons. 

He  flung  out  hastily  an  address  in  Sixty-fifth  Street, 
just  east  of  Fifth  Avenue,  glanced  at  his  watch  un 
easily  and  began  to  rehearse  the  explanation  he  had 
constructed. 

Arrived  at  the  double-front  Renaissance  house 
which  Andrew  Forrester  had  sublet  for  the  season, 
he  passed  through  the  iron  grille  and  greeted  Gregory 
with  an  appearance  of  nonchalance. 

"  Morning,  Gregory.  Let  Mrs.  Forrester  know  I 
am  here,  will  you?  "  Then,  with  the  knowledge  of  an 
habitue,  he  ran  lightly  up  the  winding  marble  stairs 
and  into  the  great  salon. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  129 

"  The  old  boy  must  be  making  piles  down  in  Mex 
ico,"  he  thought.  "Awkward  situation!  Might  be 
better  to  blame  it  on  the  punch !  " 

Finally,  he  determined  to  guide  his  apologies  by  the 
attitude  he  should  encounter.  Instead  of  Gregory, 
Morley,  trim  and  stately  in  black  and  white,  brought 
him  in  his  answer. 

"  Mrs.  Forrester  's  very  sorry,  Mr.  Dawson,  but  she 
asks  to  be  excused  this  morning,  sir." 

"  What  ?  "  he  said,  his  expression  turning  blank. 
Morley  repeated  the  message. 

"  She  won't  see  me,"  thought  Dawson,  so  utterly 
upset  that  he  forgot  the  presence  of  the  maid,  who 
watched  him  with  a  sympathetic  smile.  "  She  refuses 
to  see  me,"  he  repeated,  and  he  thought  of  all  the  good 
times,  the  dinners,  the  impromptu  dances,  the  invita 
tions  to  theater  and  opera,  which  had  been  his  in  these 
pleasant,  luxurious  pastures. 

"  You  might  write  a  word,  sir,  if  it 's  very  impor 
tant,"  said  Morley  softly. 

"What?    Oh,  yes!" 

He  passed  hurriedly  into  the  library,  found  an  en 
velope  and  wrote  in  a  bold  hand,  "  Mrs.  Forrester." 
He  studied  it,  finding  it  absurd  to  have  written  any 
thing  at  all,  thought  a  moment,  took  out  a  card,  and 
scribbled  a  few  words  on  it,  sealed  the  envelope,  mak 
ing  sure  that  the  gum  had  dried  sufficiently  before 
entrusting  it  to  Morley. 

"  Wonder  what  she  thinks  of  all  this  ?  "  he  thought 
all  at  once,  and  he  hastily  said  aloud,  "  It  Js  about  the 
Versailles  fete,  Morley.  We  've  got  to  decide  the 
costumes  right  off." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  sir,"  said  Morley  blandly.  "  If  you  '11 
wait,  I  '11  bring  you  Mrs.  Forrester's  answer." 


130  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  You  're  kind,  very  kind,  Morley,"  he  said  nerv 
ously.  "  Thank  you."  He  went  to  the  piano  and 
began  to  thunder  out  the  latest  maxixe. 

"  No;  that  does  n't  sound  right!  "  he  said,  stopping 
short.  He  considered  gravely,  and  then  allowed  his 
fingers  to  wander  languidly  through  a  sentimental 
ballad  of  the  Parisian  cafes,  which  struck  him  as  better 
suited  to  his  state  of  dejection  and  repentance. 


II 

AT  the  moment  of  Dawson's  agitated  arrival,  Mrs. 
Forrester,  in  the  Louis  XVI  boudoir,  fresh  from 
the  hands  of  her  hairdresser,  was  reclining  in  a  deep- 
cushioned  bergere,  enveloped  in  a  negligee  which 
rivaled  in  delicacy  the  rare  brocades  and  the  dainty 
cartouches  of  Boucher  which  enlivened  the  walls  hung 
in  blue  silk.  Miss  Pound,  the  housekeeper,  had  de 
parted  with  the  instructions  for  the  day,  leaving  her  to 
her  reflections.  Her  nature  was  too  amiable  and  gay 
to  give  in  to  violent  depressions.  Yet  this  morning 
she  was  annoyed  —  by  the  steady  contraction  of  her 
eyebrows  and  the  little  furrowed  lines  of  her  forehead 
which  had  not  been  there  two  years  ago.  For  this 
unusual  and  unwelcome  mood  there  were  three  rea 
sons  —  a  letter  from  Andrew  which  lay  in  her  lap,  a 
marked  copy  of  the  latest  Tattle-tale,  at  which  she 
was  glancing  with  a  sensitive  aversion  of  her  little 
nostrils,  and,  last  of  all,  the  annoying  problem  of 
Tody  Dawson. 

The  letter  from  her  husband  had  arrived  several 
days  before,  postmarked  from  a  town  in  northern 
Mexico  —  short,  direct,  complaining  of  his  lack  of 
news  from  her. 

MY  DEAR  AMY  : 

Three  weeks  now  without  word  of  you  —  you 
really  might  do  better  than  that.  Internal  condi 
tions  here  are  so  bad  that  I  look  forward  to  the 


132  VIRTUOUS   WIVES 

future  with  great  apprehension.  I  spoke  to  you 
of  this,  and  I  thought  I  had  made  you  under 
stand  the  situation.  Last  month's  account,  just 
received  from  Miss  Pound,  was  therefore  a  dis 
agreeable  surprise.  I  may  be  up  any  time  or  not 
for  months.  Please  treat  as  serious  my  plea  for 
economy.  If  the  revolution  spreads,  the  mines 
will  have  to  close  indefinitely.  You  may  realize 
what  that  means  to  us. 

Aft, 

ANDREW. 

She  had  been  overwhelmed  with  remorse  on  receipt 
of  this  letter,  the  first  in  which  he  had  shown  a  touch 
of  criticism.  She  was  astounded  and  incredulous. 
There  must  have  been  some  mistake.  Surely  she  had 
written  at  least  twice  a  week.  But  on  consulting  her 
engagement  book,  the  mystery  was  easily  explained. 
The  last  weeks  before  Lent  had  been  absolutely 
crowded  with  social  duties  —  four  costume  balls,  half 
a  dozen  large  dinners  at  home,  every  night  consumed 
until  three  and  four  in  the  morning,  luncheons,  thes 
dansants,  week-ends  at  Irma's  or  Gladys  Challoner's, 
impromptu  engagements  at  restaurants,  with  barely 
time  to  sandwich  in  a  few  hours'  necessary  shopping 
before  the  exactions  of  a  social  afternoon.  Only  the 
mornings  remained,  but  when  one  woke  at  eleven, 
what  with  the  masseuse  and  the  hairdresser,  where 
was  there  time  to  do  the  things  one  really  wanted 
to  do? 

Nevertheless,  she  had  reproached  herself  at  her 
neglect  of  Andrew,  who  was  working  so  hard,  and 
had  resolved  that  she  would  write  him  religiously 
three  times  a  week  —  a  long  letter  each  Sunday  morn- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  133 

ing  and  a  short  note  on  each  Tuesday  and  Friday. 
As  evidence  of  good  faith,  she  had  taken  up  her  en 
gagement  book  and  written  across  the  dates  selected, 
"  Write  Andrew."  She  had  even  addressed  and 
stamped  a  dozen  envelopes,  so  that  in  hurried  moments 
half  the  work  would  be  done.  Furthermore,  she  had 
called  in  Miss  Pound  and,  assuming  a  severe  manner, 
had  said: 

"  The  bills  last  month  were  simply  ghastly.  We 
must  economize  this  month." 

"  In  what  way,  Mrs.  Forrester?"  asked  Miss  Pound, 
bristling  up. 

"  In  every  way,"  she  replied,  and  in  order  to  cover 
her  complete  ignorance,  and  to  show  thai;  she  was 
minutely  informed,  she  repeated  firmly,  rt  In  every 
possible  way !  " 

She  had  not  the  slightest  conception  of  their  situa 
tion.  At  first,  when  they  had  sublet,  at  twenty  thou 
sand  dollars  the  season,  the  little  palace  they  occupied, 
she  had  been  aghast  at  the  sum.  But  Andrew  had 
laughed  and  told  her  not  to  worry.  She  had  such  con 
fidence  in  Andrew.  There  was  nothing  he  could  not 
do  if  his  mind  were  made  up.  Why  then,  all  at  once, 
this  bolt  from  a  clear  sky?  Yet  the  ominous  note  of 
his  peremptory  warning  remained  in  her  memory. 
For  there  was  the  Versailles  fete  which  she  had 
planned  all  season  —  the  fete  that  would  be  a  social 
milestone  In  her  triumphant  season.  The  cards  had 
been  out  five  weeks  —  how  was  it  possible  to  recall 
them  ?  And  the  fete  would  cost  —  what  all  such  im 
portant  events  must  cost. 

Andrew's  letter  had  arrived  just  after  luncheon, 
while  she  and  Irma  Dellabarre  were  waiting  for  the 
household  pets,  Dawson  and  Laracy,  to  call  for  them. 


134  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  My,  what  a  frown !  "  said  Irma,  over  her  coffee 
cup.  "  Bad  news  ?  " 

"  Bills,"  said  Amy  blankly.  To  those  obnoxious 
words  "  duty "  and  "  conscience  "  she  had  added  a 
third  specter  in  a  sort  of  unwelcome  trinity.  "  He  's 
in  a  fearful  temper  about  them." 

"  Is  that  all?  "  said  Irma,  with  a  laugh.  "  All  hus 
bands  grumble  at  bills.  It 's  quite  an  art  in  knowing 
when  to  present  them." 

"  I  'm  horribly  worried,"  said  Amy  penitently. 
'  You  know  there  's  the  Versailles  fete.  Have  you 
any  idea  what  such  things  cost  ?  " 

"  Don't  worry,  my  dear,"  said  Irma  consolingly. 
"  It 's  not  a  question  of  money.  You  know  what  they 
say  in  the  Street  —  You  don't  ?  They  say  Andrew  's 
cleaned  up  a  million  in  Osaba  Mining  this  year.  No, 
my  dear;  I  don't  think  it 's  money." 

"But  what,  then?" 

Mrs.  Dellabarre  stirred  her  cup,  meditating ;  then  she 
raised  her  eyelashes  slowly,  and  a  faint  smile  touched 
the  corners  of  her  lips  as  she  looked  at  her  friend. 

"  When  a  husband  is  jealous,  he  begins  by  complain 
ing  of  the  bills." 

"Andrew  jealous!"  said  Amy,  astounded.  "Why 
should  Andrew  be  jealous  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  have  had  quite  a  following." 

"  Of  course,  but  he  —  he  is  proud  of  that." 

She  had  had  more  than  the  usual  amount  of  atten 
tion  and  admirers,  more  than  Gladys  Challoner,  even. 
There  were  a  dozen  youngsters  of  the  "  crocodile  " 
class  who  worshiped  her  mutely,  and  blissfully  ran 
her  errands.  There  were  several  foreigners  who  made 
love  to  her  covertly,  and  a  dozen  other  men  who  flirted 
with  her  in  a  conventional  way;  but,  so  far,  she  could 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  135 

face  her  conscience  —  for  she  was  certain  she  had  a 
conscience  —  and  truthfully  proclaim  that  no  one  man 
had  been  promoted  from  the  ranks  or  acquired  the 
right  to  believe  that  she  did  more  than  gratefully 
tolerate  his  attentions.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  as 
sured  herself  (and  the  answer  seemed  crushing)  that 
to  be  forced  to  devote  herself  to  any  one  man  would 
bore  her  to  death. 

"  Irma,  how  absurd !  "  she  said,  with  the  rising  in 
flection.  "  No,  no ;  that 's  one  thing  I  'm  not  worried 
about.  I  may  be  thoughtless  and  extravagant  —  I 
suppose  I  am  —  but  I  have  n't  given  him  the  slightest 
cause  for  jealousy  —  not  the  slightest."  She  hesi 
tated,  glanced  at  the  letter  again,  and  said,  "  Well, 
now,  have  I  ?  " 

"  The  Count  de  Faucouleur?  " 

"  A  foreigner,  and  besides  —  "  She  started  to  con 
fide,  but  bit  her  lip.  "  Well,  who  else  ?  " 

"  Frank  Payson." 

"  Ridiculous !  " 

"  Britton." 

"Irma!" 

"  Then,  of  course,  there  's  always  Tody." 

"  And  Jap  and  Charlie  Pardee  and  Phil  and  Harry," 
she  interrupted  impatiently,  "  and  the  whole  kinder 
garten  ;  Irma,  you  don't  call  them  men !  " 

"  I  know  and  you  know,  but  does  Andrew  know?  " 

"  But,  my  dear,"  said  Amy,  in  helpless  virtue,  "  it 's 
just  because  I  am  surrounded  by  a  lot  of  foolish,  harm 
less  boys  that  Andrew  should  feel  safe." 

"  And  you  have  never  had  any  trouble  with  them  ?  " 
said  Irma,  watching  her.  "  Now  —  honestly  ?  " 

Mrs.  Forrester  opened  her  clear  blue  eyes  in  un 
affected  amazement. 


136  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Never !  How  funny  to  ask  that !  They  know  my 
principles.  They  would  n't  dare !  The  only  time  "  — 
she  stopped,  and  then  continued  —  "  the  only  time  I 
had  to  do — well,  a  little  disciplining,  was  with  de 
Faucouleur,  and  that  was  really  no  trouble  at  all." 

"  Ah,  I  was  sure  of  it!    Do  tell  me  all." 

"  There  's  nothing  much  to  tell.  After  I  met  him 
at  Gladys's,  he  started  in  to  make  violent  love  to  me  — 
as  a  foreigner  will  do,  you  know  —  and  —  well,  I 
made  him  understand  —  oh,  very  kindly  —  that  I  was 
devoted  to  my  husband.  I  told  him  that  American 
women  were  splendid  pals  and  loved  a  spree,  but  that 
they  were  not  women  of  light  morals;  he  might  find 
exceptions,  but,  for  the  most  part,  despite  a  little 
harmless  flirting,  we  intended  to  remain  virtuous 
wives."  Two  years  before  she  had  smiled  over  the 
same  characterization  by  Irma,  but  no  troubling  mem 
ory  returned  to  disturb  her  righteous  gravity.  "  He 
understood  —  oh,  at  once !  He  was  very  nice  about  it. 
He  apologized  for  having  —  well,  for  having  made  a 
mistake.  Now  he  is  one  of  my  most  devoted  friends, 
and  I  know  he  respects  me  for  my  honesty.  Yes ;  I  'm 
very  proud  of  the  way  I  handled  him,"  she  added,  with 
a  toss  of  her  head. 

"  Foreigners  don't  always  understand  our  point  of 
view,"  said  Irma  meditatively.  Then,  as  she  was 
blessed  with  a  sense  of  humor,  she  added,  "  nor  some 
Americans." 

"  You  can't  help  men  falling  in  love  with  you,"  con 
tinued  Amy,  still  studying  the  letter.  "  That 's  their 
own  affair.  But  I  play  fair.  No;  I  certainly  have 
nothing  to  reproach  myself  with  on  that  score." 

She  picked  up  the  letter  and  examined  the  way  in 
which  her  husband  had  signed  himself,  "  Affection- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  137 

ately,"  which  had  been  abbreviated  to  a  rapid  "  Aff." 
She  found  it  depressingly  mechanical,  matter-of-fact, 
businesslike,  and  lacking  the  true  savor  of  romance. 
She  had  grown  more  beautiful  in  a  dramatic  way,  all 
her  charms  under  nice  control  directed  by  a  sure  in 
stinct  for  values,  but  when  her  face  relaxed  into  repose, 
there  was  a  difference.  The  unconscious  pleasing  that 
had  once  hovered  there  like  the  fresh  fragrance  of  a 
flower  was  gone.  Instead,  there  was  a  driven  wake- 
fulness,  an  interrupted  excitement  of  the  emotions, 
and  an  impatience  for  the  next  sensation. 

"  Mr.  Dawson  and  Mr.  Laracy,"  said  Gregory, 
entering. 

"  Oh,  the  boys  ?    Send  them  up/'  she  said  eagerly. 

Dawson  and  Laracy  had  come  to  escort  them  to 
the  dressmaker's,  where  their  manly  criticisms  would 
be  invaluable. 


Ill 

THEY  formed  an  animated  and  noisy  group  in  the 
gray-hung  salons  of  Franceline's,  who  at  that 
time  enjoyed  the  custom  of  fashion  because  she  had 
the  genius  to  perceive  that  her  clients  preferred  to  pay 
five  hundred  dollars  for  a  dress  which  she  could  sell 
them  with  profit  for  half  that  sum.  Ahead  was  a  little 
raised  stage  with  subdued  footlights.  From  time  to 
time,  the  silver-gray  folds  at  the  back  parted.  A 
graceful  model  emerged,  posed  like  a  preening  pea 
cock,  descended  the  steps,  and  floated  slowly  among 
the  spectators  with  mincing  steps,  her  arms  extended 
with  feathery  languor,  her  head  pillowed  against 
imaginary  cushions,  a  vacant  smile  painted  on  an  ex 
quisite  face.  Franceline  herself,  as  an  extraordinary 
concession,  stood  in  critical  inspection,  explaining  to 
the  group,  detailing  descriptions,  encouraging  the  flip 
pant  criticisms  of  Dawson  and  Laracy,  flattering  their 
judgment,  ever  watchful  for  the  first  covetous  glance 
in  the  eyes  of  the  women.  Tody  and  Jap,  thus  skil 
fully  directed,  passed  from  criticism  to  enthusiastic 
appreciation.  From  time  to  time  the  glance  of  a 
model  —  Betty  or  Priscilla  or  Lois  —  rested  on  them 
in  discreet  recognition. 

"  I  say,  let 's  have  another  look  at  that  Callot  negli 
gee,"  said  Tody,  who  knew  the  Paris  dressmakers  en 
connoisseur,  and  could  name  a  model  as  unerringly  as 
an  expert  distinguishes  the  parentage  of  a  painting. 
"  Irma,  you  must  have  jt !  It 's  the  line  you  like.  I 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  139 

say,  let 's  see  it  again.  I  mean  the  one  the  tall  blond 
girl 's  got  on.  What 's  her  name  ?  " 

"  Hypocrite !  "  said  Irma,  under  her  breath.  "  As 
though  you  were  n't  old  friends !  " 

Amy,  who  had  still  a  great  ignorance  of  the  ways 
of  young  men  of  fashion,  looked  around  in  frowning 
incredulity. 

"  Why,  Tody,  you  don't  mean  —  " 

"Amy,  you  are  innocent!"  said  Irma,  shrugging 
her  shoulders.  "  To-night  they  may  be  all  dining  to 
gether  and  imitating  us." 

Tody,  who  knew  Amy  better,  protested  his  inno 
cence  so  volubly  that  she  began  to  have  doubts.  The 
suggestion  pained  her.  She  did  not  like  to  think  of 
Tody  and  Jap,  whom  she  admitted  to  her  intimacy, 
frequenting  the  company  of  such  dangerous  sirens. 
She  resolved  at  the  first  opportunity  to  learn  the  truth 
and  deliver  the  lesson.  For,  above  all  things,  she  in 
tended  to  exert  a  good  influence.  But  the  return  of 
Priscilla  in  the  Callot  negligee  drove  such  virtuous 
intentions  from  her  mind.  She  coveted  the  gown  be 
cause  she  knew  Irma  wanted  it  and  was  hesitating  at 
the  price. 

"  Yes ;  it 's  too  dainty  for  words,"  said  Irma,  with 
a  sigh.  "  If  I  had  seen  it  a  month  ago  —  " 

"  It 's  just  arrived  —  the  newest  thing,"  said  Fran- 
celine  quickly.  "  And  what  is  one  more  negligee  to 
Mrs.  Dellabarre?" 

"  Now,  Franceline,  you  know  perfectly  well  that 
I  've  had  three  negligees  here  this  spring,"  said  Mrs. 
Dellabarre,  in  a  voice  which  carried  to  the  farthest 
group,  "  and  that 's  quite  enough.  Don't  tempt  me. 
Take  it  away  —  this  instant !  " 

Amy  had  set  her  heart  on  its  possession  from  the 


140  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

moment  she  had  seen  the  desire  in  Irma's  eyes,  and 
the  moment  of  indecision  made  her  tremble.  She  had 
come  firmly  determined  to  remain  a  spectator,  steeled 
to  resist  the  craving  for  beautiful  things  which  had 
become  a  daily  necessity  in  her  existence.  Since  she 
must  economize,  she  had  resolved  to  begin  at  once. 
Her  resolution  held  while  the  dainty,  exquisite  treas 
ure  passed  her  once;  she  resisted  when  a  second  time 
Pfiscilla,  who  had  her  own  coloring,  floated  by,  but 
when  a  last  time,  summoned  by  Tody,  the  model  ap 
proached,  she  held  out  no  longer.  From  behind  Irma's 
back  she  sent  Madame  Franceline  an  imperious  signal, 
which  that  astute  reader  of  unspoken  thoughts  at  once 
comprehended. 

"  There  's  a  newer  style  coming  over  next  week," 
she  said,  with  a  signal  to  the  model  to  retire,  ".which 
I  think  will  interest  you  more,  Mrs.  Dellabarre." 

Amy  felt  very  guilty.  At  her  first  attempt  to  econ 
omize,  she  had  stumbled. 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  wish  I  was  n't  feeling  so  poor,"  she 
said  artfully.  "  I  must  have  some  things,  but  I  don't 
know  when  I  can  pay  you !  " 

Franceline  was  full  of  sympathy. 

"  Mrs.  Forrester,  you  know  I  never  send  in  bills 
until  it 's  convenient  —  there  won't  be  any  trouble 
about  that."  And  she  added  solicitously,  "  You 
must  n't  deprive  yourself  —  for  a  trifle  like  that." 

Amy  Forrester  drew  a  sigh  of  relief.  The  bill  — 
and  it  was  a  large  one  —  could  go  over  into  the  fall. 
All  her  spirits  returned.  She  felt  she  had  accom 
plished  something  —  something  concrete. 

"  Me  for  the  panier  every  time,"  said  Jap,  smiling 
appreciatively  at  a  dark-haired  little  model  who  came 
up  on  tiptoes,  dainty  as  a  Watteau  shepherdess. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  141 

Tody  Dawson  disagreed  immediately,  and  the  con 
versation  became  heated. 

"  Panier  nothing !  That 's  nothing  but  a  lot  of  side 
saddles  stuck  on.  Wake  up,  Jap ;  wake  up !  The  art 
of  being  well  clothed  is  all  in  the  descending  line." 

"  You  're  for  the  wet  bathing  suit." 

"  Certainly.  The  human  figure  is  beautiful  —  why 
distort  it  ?  Interpret  it.  I  'm  for  things  that  wind 
and  cling.  All  this  other  stuff  is  just  a  lot  of  icing  on 
the  cake,  the  bump  on  the  log.  It 's  grotesque ;  sure  it 
is  —  artificial !  " 

"  It  depends  on  who  's  inside  the  panier"  said  Jap, 
with  an  appreciative  look  at  the  black-haired  Betty, 
who  turned  slowly  before  them.  "  It  all  comes  down 
to  this :  there  ought  to  be  two  styles,  one  for  the  dump 
lings  and  one  for  the  string  bean." 

"  Speaking  of  dumplings,"  said  Tody,  rising  with  a 
welcoming  smile. 

Kitty  Lightbody  came  rolling  in,  her  china  eyes 
sparkling  with  excitement. 

"  My  dear,  am  I  late?  "  she  exclaimed,  making  for 
Amy.  "  I  suppose  I  am  —  hello,  boys !  —  but  Lulu 
kept  me  to  show  me  it  —  My  dear,  have  you  seen  it?" 

"  Seen  what  ?  "  said  Amy,  vaguely  alarmed. 

"This  week's  Tattle-tale!  My  dear,  you  haven't! 
You  '11  be  furious." 

"  Hush,  Kitty ;  don't  shout  so !  "  said  Amy,  glancing 
about  the  room  uneasily.  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  Is 
there  something  about  me  in  it  ?  " 

"  Something !  I  should  say  there  was,  and  a  nasty 
slap,  too,"  said  Kitty,  in  her  reverberating  voice. 

"  At  me  ?  "  asked  Amy,  her  heart  sinking  before  the 
dread  specter  of  publicity.  "But  why?  What?  I 
don't  understand." 


142  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Oh,  no  names  mentioned.  It 's  not  so  bad  as  all 
that,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody  hastily,  at  sight  of  her 
friend's  pale  stare.  "  We  're  all  exposed  to  it. 
Have  n't  I  been  torn  to  pieces  ?  Well,  I  should  say  I 
had !  It 's  outrageous  such  papers  are  allowed  to 
exist,"  said  Kitty,  who  read  it  religiously.  "  Trouble 
is,  people  always  believe  what  they  want." 

Amy  got  up  heavily,  her  cheeks  burning  before  the 
curious  glances  which  Kitty's  volubility  had  centered 
on  her. 

"  I  think  I  '11  go,"  she  said  dully. 

"  I  '11  come  too,"  said  Irma,  with  a  withering  glance 
at  Kitty  Lightbody.  "  Really,  Kitty,  how  can  you  be 
so  stupid  ?  " 

"  Suppose  I  am  a  fool,"  said  that  simple  lady,  with 
labored  contriteness,  "  but  I  was  so  excited." 

They  hastened  down  to  the  car,  stopped  at  the  near 
est  news-stand  and  bought  a  copy.  To  Amy's  unquiet 
imagination,  even  the  little,  weazened  news-dealer  who 
served  her  seemed  to  divine  the  awful  truth.  She 
opened  it  with  a  faltering  hand  and  found  the  passage. 

One  of  the  most  destructive  of  our  young 
matrons  is  Mrs.  Andrew  B.  Forrester,  whose 
coming  Versailles  fete  is  expected  to  be  quite  the 
hit  of  the  season.  Amy  is  nothing  if  not  discreet, 
as  many  of  our  gilded  youth  have  found  to  their 
discomfiture.  The  number  of  scalps  at  her 
twenty-two-inch  belt  is  said  to  have  gone  into 
the  third  dozen.  Mr.  Forrester  is  kept  busy  in 
Mexico. 

"Oh,  is  that  all?"  said  Irma,  with  a  disappointed 
laugh. 

"  '  All ! '  "  echoed  Amy  weakly. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  143 

The  malicious  little  paragraph  danced  before  her 
eyes.  She  sank  back.  It  was  her  first  experience  with 
the  pointing  finger  of  public  curiosity.  She  felt  over 
whelmed,  bruised,  soiled. 

"  Irma,  isn't  it  awful?"  she  said,  in  a  whisper. 
"What  shall  I  do?" 

"Do?    Laugh  at  it!" 

"  Laugh  ?  How  can  you  say  that  ?  I  feel  like  sink 
ing  into  the  ground." 

"  Don't  be  absurd !  "  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  amazed. 
"  Every  one  has  to  face  such  things.  Have  you  any 
idea  who  could  have  done  it?  " 

"I?    Of  course  not." 

"  The  worst  is,  it  might  be  any  one.  After  all,  my 
dear,  there  is  nothing  so  terrible." 

'  Terrible  '  ?  It  makes  me  out  a  professional  — 
I  don't  know  what  —  a  professional  coquette,  a  vulgar 
flirt  taking  advantage  of  her  husband's  absence." 
Irma  Dellabarre  looked  at  her  silently.  "  I  Jm  ill  over 
it.  I  simply  can't  come  to  dinner  to-night.  I  just 
could  n't  face  people !  " 

"  Don't  be  a  goose !  That  would  make  talk.  Oh, 
there  '11  be  worse  than  this,  but  when  you  Ve  seen 
your  name  in  print  a  dozen  times,  you  won't  mind 
at  all." 

"It's  terrible!" 

"  But  it 's  over  in  twenty- four  hours.  Oh,  it 's  not 
agreeable  at  first.  But  you  must  grin  and  bear  it. 
Husbands  take  such  exaggerated  views.  Lucky  An 
drew  's  away !  Why,  you  foolish  child !  "  she  ex 
claimed,  suddenly  perceiving  Amy  in  tears.  "  Here, 
this  won't  do ! "  She  leaned  forward,  seized  the 
speaking  tube  and  cried,  "  Bingham,  drive  round  the 
park." 


144  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  Amy  had  somewhat  regained 
her  calm.  She  had  an  engagement  at  Lazare's  for  tea. 
She  protested  she  would  never  go,  that  she  could  n't 
go,  but  Irma.  laughed  her  into  it.  Nevertheless,  her 
entry  through  the  crowded  room  was  the  most  painful 
thing  she  had  ever  done  in  her  life.  She  felt  her  face 
go  red. 

Every  group  whispered  her  name  as  she  passed,  and 
mocking  eyes  grew  about  her  like  daisies  in  a  field. 
Yet  half  an  hour  later  she  found  that  her  breath  came 
painlessly  and  she  was  able  to  jest  over  the  incident 
with  Laracy,  saying, 

"  Look  out;  there  is  still  room  on  my  belt!  " 

Inwardly  there  remained  certain  qualms.  The  din 
ner  that  night  bored  her,  the  theater  bored  her,  and 
when  they  gathered  at  the  inevitable  dance-club  at 
midnight,  she  pretexted  a  headache  to  explain  her 
somber  mood,  which  was  so  unusual  as  to  be  remarked. 
For  her  success  lay  not  alone  in  the  rare  distinction  of 
her  beauty,  but  in  that  she  was  young  in  pleasure.  Her 
capacity  was  genuine  and  insatiable.  When  she  was 
of  the  party,  she  communicated  to  all  her  radiant 
spirits,  her  tiptoe  excitement,  her  ardent  gaiety,  and 
this  spontaneous  quality  of  enjoyment,  amid  the  coun 
terfeit  youth  and  laboring  pleasure,  was  rare  enough 
to  make  her  a  valuable  acquisition. 

By  two  o'clock,  she  could  stand  it  no  longer. 

"  Tody,  be  a  dear  boy ;  call  my  car  and  take  me 
home,"  she  said. 

"  By  George,  I  '11  cowhide  the  cad  who  published 
that ! "  said  Dawson  wildly,  somewhat  overexcited. 
"  I  will,  too,  if  you  say  the  word." 

"  It  is  n't  that,"  she  said  glibly.  "  That 's  too  ridic 
ulous  to  worry  about.  All  the  same,  you  are  a  nice 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  145 

boy  to  say  that.     Get  my  car  now  and  don't  say  any 
thing.    I  '11  slip  away." 

In  the  car,  her  doubts  returned  uneasily.  She  drew 
back  into  her  corner,  her  chin  against  her  palm,  a  little 
frown  on  her  forehead,  quite  oblivious  of  Tody,  who 
was  rattling  on  with  loosened  tongue. 

"Have  I  really  done  anything  wrong?"  she  asked 
herself.  "  I  don't  think  so.  Did  n't  Andrew  himself 
tell  me  to  play  all  I  wanted  ?  " 

She  had  played,  and  that  was  all,  as  all  her  friends 
were  doing,  and  much  less  than  some  she  knew.  They 
made  the  pretense  of  being  virtuous  wives,  but  many 
laid  themselves  open  to  gossip  —  notably  Gladys  Chal- 
loner.  She  herself  had  attracted  certain  men  deliber 
ately,  one  or  two  for  the  pleasure  of  infuriating 
Gladys  or  Irma,  but  she  had  lain  down  her  laws  and 
permitted  not  the  slightest  deviation. 

"  I  can't  help  men  being  devoted  to  me,"  she  re 
peated  stubbornly.  "  That 's  their  look-out.  I  play 
fair.  No  one  could  have  been  more  honest,  more  care 
ful  than  I  have.  Men  respect  me." 

She  had  worked  herself  up  to  this  state  of  moral 
complacency  when  abruptly,  out  of  a  clear  sky,  she 
heard,  through  the  maze  of  her  own  thoughts,  Tody 
Dawson  calling  her  name,  and  the  next  moment  she 
realized  that  he  had  caught  up  her  hand  and  kissed  it. 
At  first  she  was  too  amazed  to  move. 

"Tody!" 

"  Amy,  Amy  —  have  n't  you  known  it  —  have  n't 
you  seen  —  Good  God,  I  can't  hide  it  any  longer !  " 
he  cried  wildly,  still  clutching  her  hand. 

She  understood.  She  sat  up,  looking  at  him  in  cold 
anger. 

"  Tody  Dawson,  how  dare  you  do  such  a  thing?  " 


146  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

Frightened  at  her  tone,  he  dropped  her  hand 
and  began  to  stammer  out  confused,  incoherent  pro 
testations. 

"  Amy,  don't  be  too  hard  on  me  —  if  you  knew, 
if  —  " 

"  Tody  Dawson,  be  quiet !  " 

She  seized  the  tube  and  brought  the  car  to  a  stop. 

"  Now,  get  out !  " 

He  caught  one  glimpse  of  her  stern  face,  and 
obeyed  with  clumsy  haste.  The  silk  hat  he  wore 
crashed  against  the  door  and  toppled  off.  He  recov 
ered  it  awkwardly  and  backed  out  on  to  the  sidewalk, 
terrified  at  what  he  had  done.  She  saw  him  standing 
in  the  rain,  a  ridiculous  picture,  hugging  the  crushed 
hat,  on  which  drops  had  begun  to  glisten. 

"  Now  drive  on." 

She  had  acted  swiftly,  without  reflection,  without 
thought  of  what  Bingham  would  read  into  this 
brusque,  humiliating  dismissal. 

"  Perhaps  it  was  a  mistake  to  take  him  so  seriously," 
she  thought,  instantly  apprehensive  —  the  Count  de 
Faucouleur  had  done  as  much.  "  I  should  have 
shamed  him  by  laughing  at  him." 

What  had  doubled  her  anger  had  been  the  malicious 
conjunction  of  circumstances.  Was  there  some  right 
to  criticism  of  her  conduct?  She  went  to  bed,  a  prey 
to  nervous,  racing  doubts,  saying  to  herself  again  and 
again, 

"  But  what  do  I  do  that  men  can  make  such 
mistakes?" 


IV 

HER  anger  had  dwindled  to  annoyance  at  the  ridic 
ulous  side  of  the  adventure,  and  her  annoyance 
to  unease,  by  the  time  Dawson  had  been  announced. 
She  hesitated  before  refusing  to  see  him,  for  she  real 
ized  that  there  must  be  some  readjustment  or  the  broil 
would  become  public,  and  conclusions  would  be  drawn 
which  would  be  disagreeable,  especially  after  the  pub 
lic  reference  she  had  received.  Nevertheless,  he  should 
have  telephoned  before  claiming  admittance  at  such 
an  hour.  She  excused  herself  without  explanation. 

When  Morley  returned  with  his  riote,  she  took  it 
eagerly,  frowning  yet  relieved,  for  she  sought  a  way 
to  close  the  incident.  She  tried  the  edges,  to  make 
sure  they  had  not  been  tempered  with,  composed  her 
expression,  and  read  the  jerky  scrawl. 

You  must  see  me.     I  'm  miserable ;  I  must  ex 
plain,  or  I  don't  know  what  I  '11  do. 

Further  down,  as  an  afterthought  was  added, 

You  can  say  it 's  about  the  costumes  for  the 
Versailles  fete. 

"  But  that 's  true,  we  must  decide,"  she  thought 
immediately.  "  How  could  I  have  forgotten  that?  " 

The  Versailles  fete  which  she  had  planned  was 
quite  the  most  important  event  of  her  whole  life. 
There  were  a  hundred  details  to  settle,  decorations, 
costumes,  music,  lighting,  but  above  all  there  was  the 


148  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

minuet  of  honor,  which  she  was  to  dance  with  Daw- 
son,  Gladys  Challoner,  and  young  Pardee. 

"  I  simply  can't  give  that  up,"  she  said  miserably, 
and  this  last  eventuality  seemed  to  her  the  crowning 
burden  of  her  successive  misfortunes.  "  How  silly  of 
Tody  to  spoil  everything  by  acting  like  that!  What 
am  I  to  do  ?  And  everything  is  announced." 

The  more  she  considered  the  scrawled  note,  the 
more  the  question  of  the  ball  emerged  from  the  back 
ground  and  dominated  the  situation.  There  was  abso 
lutely  no  possibility  of  replacing  Tody  Dawson,  who 
danced  like  an  angel,  according  to  modern  conceptions 
of  a  celestial  paradise. 

"  Yes;  I  must  see  him.  I  must  see  him  if  only  to 
find  out  what  I  have  done  that  he  could  misinterpret. 
Yes,  that 's  it,"  she  said,  relieved  at  having  acquired  a 
nobler  reason  than  her  own  personal  need.  "  I  must 
know  —  in  order  not  to  make  another  mistake." 

She  turned  to  Morley. 

"  Tell  Mr.  Dawson  I  can  see  him  for  ten  minutes." 

"  Down-stairs,  Madam  ?  " 

She  reflected.  There  was  a  morning  room  off  her 
apartments  which  would  not  be  exposed  to  busy  ears. 

"  No,  in  the  little  gold  salon." 

When  Dawson  came  stumbling  in,  head  hung  and 
plucking  at  his  glove,  she  was  waiting  by  the  piano. 

"No;  leave  the  door  open,"  she  said,  as  Morley 
started  to  close  it.  For  a  door  that  is  closed  is  a  door 
with  excellent  ears. 

The  maid's  footsteps  died  in  the  corridor.  All  that 
he  had  rehearsed  fled  from  his  memory.  In  two  years, 
the  girl  with  whom  he  had  danced,  flirted,  and  played 
had  assumed  authority  and  poise.  He  felt  like  a 
schoolboy  caught  in  an  absurdity. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  149 

"  Good  heavens,  if  I  say  I  was  tipsy,  she  '11  never 
forgive  me !  "  he  thought. 

"Well?"  she  said,  in  cold  interrogation,  without 
relaxing  the  forbidding  stateliness  of  her  pose. 

"  I  can't  explain,"  he  said,  dropping  into  a  chair 
and  taking  his  head  in  his  hands.  "  Amy,  I  'm 
wretched.  I  would  n't  have  offended  you  —  you  of  all 
the  world  —  Good  Lord,  I  'd  cut  off  my  right  hand 
first." 

"  Is  the  boy  really  in  love  with  me  ?  "  she  wondered, 
and  she  added  more  gently,  "  but  you  must  explain; 
you  owe  me  that." 

"I  can't;  it'll  only  make  it  worse,"  he  said 
desperately. 

"  But  what  have  I  done;  what  mistake  did  I  make?  " 

"  You  ?  Good  heavens  —  you !  What  do  you 
mean?  "  he  said,  looking  up  terrified. 

"  What  I  can't  understand,"  she  repeated  firmly, 
"  is  where  I  've  been  wrong." 

"You?    Good  Lord,  Amy!    Are  you  crazy?" 

"  My  dear  Tody,"  she  said  quietly,  resolved  now  to 
treat  him  like  a  boy,  "  if  you  took  such  a  liberty,  what 
did  you  expect  me  to  do  ?" 

At  this  he  looked  so  utterly  crushed  that  she  began 
to  feel  a  little  pity. 

"  Don't  be  too  hard  on  a  fellow,"  he  said,  getting 
up  and  walking  to  the  window  with  real  emotion ;  for 
in  his  effort  to  convince  her  of  the  depth  of  his  passion, 
he  had  begun  to  convince  himself.  Men  have  flung 
away  their  existence  on  just  such  turns  of  comedy. 

"  I  suppose  he  's  in  love  with  me,  the  romantic  boy," 
she  thought,  impressed  by  a  spasm  which  shook  his 
shoulders.  Nevertheless,  as  she  was  genuinely  con 
cerned,  she  repeated : 


150  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Well,  what  did  I  do  wrong?  " 
"  Good  heavens,  Amy,  be  human,  have  a  heart,"  he 
said,  lapsing  into  familiar  slang.     "  Do  you  think  I 
knew  what  I  was  doing?     Men  don't  do  things  cold 
bloodedly.     We  sometimes  lose  our  heads,"  he  added 
bitterly,  digging  his  nails  into  his  palms.    "  But  what 
ever  you  think  —  good  Lord,  Amy,  you  must  n't  think 
that  I  for  a  moment  ever  believed  —  you  —  you  cared 
—  that  I  meant  anything  to  you  —  that  —  Oh,  Lord, 
I  don't  know  what  I  am  saying." 

He  stopped  and  looked  at  her,  and  as  he  saw  her 
standing  before  him,  so  near  and  yet  so  far  beyond 
him,  so  radiant  and  so  fragile,  with  all  the  art  that 
she  had  absorbed,  more  precious  than  the  luxurious 
setting  which  surrounded  her,  he  felt  like  throwing 
himself  at  her  knees  and  crying: 

"  Do  anything  to  me  —  make  your  conditions  — 
only  let  me  see  you,  let  me  love  you  as  before !  " 

Something  of  this  flashed  into  his  face,  for  her 
voice  became  like  stone  again. 

"  Tody,  I  am  a  married  woman,"  she  said  quietly. 
"  Do  you  realize  that?  " 

"'Realize'?  I  don't  realize  anything,"  he  said, 
swallowing  hard. 

"  But  what  are  we  going  to  do  ?  "  she  said  thought 
fully,  for  while  she  believed  in  his  devotion,  as  it  was 
easy  for  her  to  believe  in  all  men's  attraction  to  her, 
she  was  not  convinced  that  any  devastating  passion 
existed.  She  took  him  firmly  by  the  wrist  and  made 
him  sit  beside  her  on  the  sofa,  saying :  "  Now,  Tody, 
I  'm  not  going  to  take  you  seriously.  We  have  been 
good  friends,  and  I  won't  allow  you  to  talk  nonsense." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  You    know    perfectly    well,"    she    said    quietly. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  151 

"  Now  listen  to  me !     At  first,  I  simply  made  up  my 
mind  to  drop  you." 

"Oh,  I  say  —  not  that!"  he  cried,  horrified  at  the 
cruelty  of  her  tone  as  much  as  at  her  words  —  a  tone 
which  set  before  him  all  the  absurdity  of  his  preten 
sions  and  the  distance  between  them. 

"  For  I  won't  hide  from  you  that  you  've  hurt  me 
terribly."  She  repeated  firmly,  "  Terribly  —  for  you 
see,  Tody,  I  trusted  you.  That 's  the  worst  of  it.  I 
let  you  come  here  as  one  of  the  family.  I  felt  you 
understood  that  we  were  the  best  of  friends,  real  com 
rades,  that  I  could  call  you  up  at  any  hour,  go  with  you 
anywhere,  and  that  I  was  under  your  protection. 
There  are  only  four  or  five  boys  that  I  admit  to  my 
intimacy  in  the  same  way,  never  men  whom  I  meet 
casually.  For  I  won't  be  talked  about.  Particularly 
as  my  husband  is  forced  to  be  away  most  of  the  time,  I 
intend  to  be  overcareful.  That 's  why,  when  you 
spoke  as  you  did  about  that  wretched  article,  I  was  so 
touched." 

"  And  I  meant  it — I  swear  I  meant  every  word  —  ; 
he  began. 

"  So  I  believed,  and  yet  the  very  same  day  — " 
She  stopped,  frowned.  "  Now  that  we  are  talking 
frankly  —  as  we  must  —  I  '11  tell  you  that  I  did  believe 
you  were  devoted  to  me  —  "  She  hesitated  a  moment 
over  the  choice  of  a  word.  "  Devoted  —  yes,  in  a 
chivalrous  way,  as  a  boy  can  be  to  a  woman  of  the 
world  without  doing  him  any  harm.  Perhaps  I  was 
wrong,  but  I  felt  I  was  a  good  influence  for  you,  that 
I  really  helped  you  —  perhaps  that  was  my  mistake," 
she  said  all  at  once,  stopping  and  questioning  him 
with  her  glance. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said,  and  his  eyes  were  perilously 


152  VIRTUOUS   WIVES 

close  to  tears ;  "  you  were  right  —  it 's  meant  every 
thing  to  me.  By  George,  you  are  an  angel  —  if  all 
women  were  like  you !  "  He  was  walking  back  and 
forth,  speaking  in  broken  phrases  that  he  seemed 
hardly  able  to  utter.  "  I  see  it  all.  What  a  cad  I  Ve 
been !  But  it  won't  happen  again.  I  'm  not  going  to 
say  what  is  n't  so.  You  do  mean  the  world  to  me. 
Oh,  I  'm  not  asking  anything  —  only  to  forget  —  to 
go  back  —  give  me  another  trial,  Amy !  " 

"  Very  well ;  we  '11  forget,"  she  said,  after  a  pause. 
"  But  —  would  n't  it  be  better  if  you  did  n't  see  too 
much  of  me  —  for  a  while  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Lord,  that 's  what  I  was  afraid  of !  "  he  said, 
with  a  groan. 

"  Yet  would  n't  it  be  wiser  ?  "  she  said  doubtfully, 
"  and  perhaps  would  n't  it  be  better  if  we  did  n't  dance 
together  in  the  minuet  ?  " 

He  could  not  answer.  He  walked  to  the  door  and 
then  back  to  the  window,  struggling  for  self-control. 
He  had  been  only  lightly  enamoured  when  he  had 
entered,  but  now,  before  her  sweetness  and  charity, 
he  felt  madly,  hopelessly,  head  over  heels  in  love.  No 
woman  had  ever  existed  like  her,  so  kind,  so  fine,  so 
unselfish,  so  big-hearted. 

"Listen,  Amy,"  he  said,  at  last  able  to  face  her; 
"Don't  do  that  —  don't!  I  beg  it  of  you.  If  you 
really  forgive  me,  if  you  're  going  to  give  me  another 
chance,  you  won't  insist  on  that.  And  besides-,  if  we 
gave  it  up  now,  every  one  wrould  know  —  suspect  — 
don't  you  see?  " 

"  Yes ;  that 's  the  trouble,"  she  said  pensively.  She 
studied  him  with  a  last  hesitation.  "  Tody,  can  I 
really  trust  you  ?  " 

"Trust  me?     Good  heavens,  Amy,  after  the  way 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  153 

you  Ve  been  with  me  ?  Don't  you  know  what  it  means 
to  a  man  to  know  a  woman  like  you?  " 

"  Very  well ;  I  won't  punish  you  any  further. 
We  '11  dance  it  together." 

He  seized  her  hand  (he  would  have  liked  to  have 
fallen  on  his  knees  before  her)  and  raised  it  respect 
fully  to  his  lips.  Then  he  went  out  hurriedly,  not 
trusting  himself  to  say  another  word. 

She  felt  the  same  moral  satisfaction  which  she  had 
felt  after  her  explanation  with  the  Comte  de  Fau- 
couleur.  '  She  knew  that  he  would  never  offend  again. 
As  for  his  feeling  toward  her  — 

"  It  won't  do  him  any  harm  to  be  a  little  in  love 
with  me,"  she  said  with  a  smile,  "  better  that  he  should 
be  devoted  to  me  than  to  some  dangerous  vulgar 
woman.  I  can  be  a  good  influence  in  his  life,  the  very 
best." 

As  Tody  Dawson  went  down  the  great  stairway, 
his  head  swimming,  his  heart  swollen,  a  dimness  be 
fore  his  eyes,  the  doors  below  swung  open.  He  looked 
down  and  recognized  Andrew  Forrester. 


FOR  a  moment,  before  the  unexpected  vision  of  the 
master  of  the  house,  Dawson  had  an  impulse  to 
retreat  blindly,  in  the  desperate  need  to  steady  his 
nerves.  Then  he  came  down  slowly,  extending  his 
hand,  a  hasty  explanation  on  his  lips. 

"  How  do,  Mr.  Forrester?  " 

"  Oh,  how  are  you?  "  said  Forrester,  who  gave  him 
a  short  look,  an  abrupt  hand-shake,  and  began  to 
struggle  out  of  his  coat. 

"  We  've  just  been  practicing  the  steps  for  the 
minuet.  Amy  's  going  to  be  stunning." 

"The  what?" 

"  The  minuet  —  the  Versailles  fete,  you  know." 

"  Ah,  yes." 

"  We  're  counting  on  your  being  there." 

"  Kind  of  you." 

Dawson  felt  that  Forrester  noticed  his  embarrass 
ment  and  that  being  an  intimate  of  the  household 
demanded  that  he  should  say  something  more. 

"How  are  things  in  Mexico?" 

"What?" 

"Conditions  all  right  in  Mexico?"  he  continued, 
shifting  to  the  other  foot. 

"  About  the  same." 

"Staying  long?" 

"  Don't  know." 

"  Amy  '11  be  surprised." 

Forrester  gave  no  answer.     To  Dawson  the  door 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  155 

seemed  miles  away.  He  swallowed  hard,  mumbled 
something  and  departed,  cursing  the  impulse  which 
had  made  him  tell  an  unnecessary  lie. 

Amy  was  content  with  herself.  It  seemed  to  her 
that  even  Andrew,  had  he  been  present,  would  have 
been  proud  of  her.  She  knew  that  she  was  unwilling 
to  punish  herself  by  losing  the  boy's  devotion,  but  she 
had  handled  the  situation  so  firmly,  if  with  kindness, 
that  he  could  have  no  doubt  of  her  loyalty.  Moreover, 
she  had  gained  in  his  eyes,  and  the  memory  of  the  new 
adoration  she  had  seen  on  his  face  gave  her  a  spiritual 
satisfaction  which  she  thoroughly  believed  she  de 
served.  As  for  the  effect  on  Tody  —  at  this  moment 
in  her  life  she  was  skeptical  of  the  great  passion  of 
love  which  novelists  harped  upon  and  newspapers 
dressed  up  in  sensational  colors.  To  her,  it  was  a 
question  of  propinquity,  a  comfortable  sensation  such 
as  the  emotion  that  made  her  seek  strength  from  her 
husband;  a  logical  thing,  born  of  respect  and  admira 
tion  rather  than  of  any  uncontrollable  passion.  She 
had  never  known  its  fever,  its  anguish  of  desire,  its 
obsessing  specter,  and  she  doubted  its  existence. 

"  It  was  the  only  sensible  way  to  handle  him  —  the 
dignified  way,"  she  repeated,  glancing  about  the  room. 
His  card  had  fallen  by  the  sofa.  She  picked  it  up 
smiling  and  was  about  to  tear  it  up,  when  Morley 
rushed  in. 

"  Beg  pardon,  madam,  but  Mr.  Forrester  is  down 
stairs." 

"  Mr.  Forrester!  "  she  said,  vaguely  alarmed  by  the 
sense  of  precipitation  in  the  maid's  entrance. 

"  Yes,  madam,  I  was  passing  in  the  hall  and  I  heard 
his  voice  talking  to  Mr.  Dawson.  I  'm  certain  of  it!  " 


156  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

Below,  the  outer  door  slammed.  She  remembered 
suddenly  that  Morley  was  watching  her,  and  angrily 
aroused  herself. 

"  There  must  be  some  mistake  —  go  and  see,"  she 
said  abruptly. 

The  maid  departed.  She  was  alone,  Tody's  card 
in  her  fingers.  She  noticed  it,  and  started  to  hide  it 
in  the  front  of  her  negligee. 

"  No,  no  —  I  have  done  nothing  wrong  —  why 
should  I  feel  like  this  ?  "  she  said  impatiently,  her  ear 
strained  to  catch  the  slightest  sound.  The  next  mo 
ment  she  heard  the  powerful  fall  of  her  husband's 
step  on  the  stairs. 

At  the  first  glance  into  his  face,  she  saw  that  he 
was  angry  as  she  had  never  known  him  to  be  before. 

"  Why,  Andrew,  it  isn't  possible!  "  she  cried,  going 
to  him  with  outstretched  hands. 

"  I  was  called  up  rather  suddenly,"  he  began,  then 
his  glance  fell  on  her  negligee,  and  he  stopped  short. 
The  face,  already  set  in  nervous  irritation,  became  all 
at  once  hard,  concentrated,  and  bitter.  Before  this 
look  she  recoiled  as  though  he  had  stepped  out  from 
behind  a  mask.  In  a  prophetic  flash,  she  saw  what  he 
might  become  if  he  should  cease  to  love  her,  and, 
seized  with  horror,  she  cried,  warding  him  from  her. 

"  Oh,  Andrew,  don't  look  at  me  like  that !  " 

He  continued  to  look  at  her.  His  eyes  blazed  and 
the  color  went  out  of  his  face.  He  turned,  closed  the 
door,  and  said, 

"  I  met  that  young  Dawson  in  the  hall."  She  was 
too  overcome  with  the  shock  to  her  heart  to  compre 
hend  what  he  was  saying.  She  nodded,  her  eyes 
blurred  with  tears,  wounded  as  a  child  is  wounded. 
"  And  I  have  a  second  disagreeable  experience  to  find 


His  glance  fell  on  her  negligee,  and  he  stopped  short, 
Page  156. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  157 

you  in  such  a  costume,"  he  said,  his  eyes  running  over 
the  soft  negligee  which  wrapped  her  little  body  about 
as  the  wreath  of  some  heavy  incense.  "  If  you  choose 
to  receive  men  at  such  hours  in  your  private  salon,  I 
object  to  your  dancing  in  a  dressing  gown." 

"Dancing?"  she  said,  startled  back  into  attention. 

"  Exactly." 

"  You  are  out  of  your  senses,  Andrew !  "  she  cried, 
and  her  modesty  was  so  offended  that  her  cheeks 
blushed  in  indignant  reproach.  :t  You  don't  think  that 
of  me !  No,  no ;  that  is  impossible." 

"  One  moment!"  He  stood  staring  at  her,  his 
fingers  playing  like  lean  tentacles.  "  Do  I  understand 
you  to  say  that  you  have  not  been  dancing  with  Mr. 
Dawson  ?  " 

She  drew  herself  up  and  faced  him  with  a  flash  of 
anger. 

"  Certainly  not!  " 

*  That  is  rather  more  serious,  then,"  he  seemed  to 
hear  himself  saying.  Something  roared  in  his  temples ; 
a  rush  of  water  closing  over  him.  "  Mr.  Dawson  him 
self,  five  minutes  ago,  told  me  that  he  had  been  re 
hearsing  the  minuet  you  are  to  dance  with  him! " 

"  He  told  you  that !  "  she  cried,  aghast. 

"  Exactly  that."  He  waited,  torn  by  all  the  blinding 
forces  of  jealousy,  his  eyes  never  leaving  her  face. 
After  a  moment  he  said  imperiously,  "  Well  ?  " 

She  could  not  assemble  her  wits.  She  felt  trapped, 
beating  out  her  wings  against  a  cage,  convicted  by 
appearances. 

"  But  this  is  awful !  "  she  thought,  shrinking  before 
the  ugliness  of  the  situation.  "  He  '11  believe  anything 
of  me,  and  I  am  innocent!  " 

"  Well  ?  "  she  heard  his  voice  repeat. 


158  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

She  glanced  down  at  the  card  which  was  crumpled 
by  the  action  of  her  fingers  —  her  fingers  that  were 
moist  with  perspiration  —  and  she  said  slowly, 

"  If  Mr.  Dawson  said  such  a  thing,  he  told  a  lie, 
and  a  very  stupid  lie." 

The  silence  seemed  endless  before  she  heard  him 
breathe  a  deep  breath. ' 

"  That  I  believe,"  he  said  carefully.  "  At  least  you 
have  not  forgotten  your  dignity  and  mine  to  that 
extent.  Now,  may  I  ask  why  Mr.  Dawson  should 
have  felt  it  necessary  to  explain  his  presence  here  with 
a  lie?" 

"  '  A  lie  '  ?  "  she  repeated  weakly,  feeling  the  forces 
of  circumstance  closing  again  about  her. 

"  Exactly  —  a  lie." 

Before  she  could  meet  this  new  danger,  the  tele 
phone  bell  rang.  Glad  of  the  opportunity  to  delay, 
she  made  him  a  sign  and  took  up  the  receiver.  It  was 
Harry  Fortescue,  of  the  "  Young  Guard,"  as  Irma 
termed  them.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  inop 
portune. 

"  Impossible,  Harry,"  she  said  irritably,  "  I  'm 
lunching  with  Irma  and  Gladys.  Some  other  time. 
I  'm  in  a  rush  now." 

She  put  down  the  receiver,  but  hardly  had  she  taken 
a  step  before  the  bell  rang  again.  This  time,  it  was 
young  Pardee,  who  was  to  dance  in  the  minuet  — 
Pardee  whose  manner  toward  her  of  late  had  aroused 
Mrs.  Challoner's  combative  instincts. 

"  Lunching  with  Gladys  at  Lazare's,"  she  said  hur 
riedly.  "  Run  in  and  see  us  there,  and  we  '11  make  an 
appointment.  In  an  awful  rush  now,  Charlie  —  can't 
talk  to  you." 

These  interruptions  from  young  men  whom  he  did 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  159 

not  know  and  whom  Amy  already  addressed  by  their 
first  name  were  not  calculated  to  calm  Forrester's 
irritation. 

"If  your  social  duties  will  allow  you,"  he  started 
to  say,  with  cold,  calculated  phrase,  but  his  anger 
boiling  up,  he  burst  out,  "  Well,  come  now ;  what  have 
you  to  say  ?  " 

She  had  regained  her  poise.  After  all,  it  was  quite 
simple.  She  would  tell  him  the  truth  —  everything 
as  it  had  happened. 

"  I  should  have  told  you,"  she  said,  frowning  at  the 
effort  this  simple  operation  suddenly  required.  "  I 
have  had  an  unpleasant  experience  with  Tody  Dawson, 
but  I  have  handled  it  in  the  proper  way  as  you  would 
have  wished  me."  She  hesitated,  and  then  continued 
resolutely :  "  Last  night,  in  the  car,  when  he  was  taking 
me  home,  the  boy  forgot  himself.  I  don't  know  why 
—  he  may  have  had  too  much  to  drink  —  "  She  hesi 
tated,  and  recoiling  before  the  whole  truth,  said,  "  He 
tried  to  take  my  hand." 

"  In  love  with  you,  of  course." 

"  I  don't  know  —  he  imagined  he  was,  perhaps," 
she  said  reluctantly,  angry  at  herself  that  she  had  pal 
liated  the  offense. 

"What  did  you  do?" 

"  I  stopped  the  car  at  once."  With  the  instinct  of 
a  woman  to  appease  a  man  who  is  jealous  by  the 
spectacle  of  his  rival's  humiliation,  she  added:  "It 
was  raining.  I  made  him  get  out  and  I  left  him  there, 
in  the  rain.  This  morning  he  came  around  and  begged 
me  to  see  him.  I  thought  it  was  better  to  treat  him 
as  a  boy  to  end  the  incident.  I  saw  him  and  made  him 
understand  my  loyalty  to  you.  He  is  heartily  ashamed, 
quite  miserable,  and  I  am  sure  that  he  has  now  only 


160  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

the  profoundest  respect  for  me,  your  wife."  She  ex 
tended  her  hand  abruptly,  and  offered  the  card. 
"  This  is  his  card." 

He  took  a  long  moment  to  read  it,  and  then  tore  it 
slowly  to  pieces  with  unsteady  fingers. 

"  Good  God !  "  he  said,  leaning  suddenly  against 
the  table.  In  the  last  terrible  moments  he  had  feared 
everything. 

She  comprehended  the  torments  of  jealousy  in  his 
cry  and  forgave  him  on  the  instant. 

"  He  loves  me  like  that !  " 

She  was  ready  to  fling  herself  in  his  arms,  to 
cling  to  him  and  be  done  with  words.  She  hesitated. 
He  had  been  totally  wrong,  she  was  ready  to  forgive, 
but  it  was  only  right  that  he  should  make  the  first 
advance.  And  her  heart  swollen,  longing  to  be  in  his 
arms,  she  waited  for  the  word  she  was  certain  would 
come. 

"  Well,  we  don't  have  to  face  that  yet,"  he  said 
heavily;  then  he  stopped,  looked  at  her  quickly  and 
said,  frowning,  "  You  say  you  taught  him  to  respect 
you?" 

"  Absolutely." 

"  And  yet  he  goes  out  and  tells  me  a  lie  ?  " 

"  Yes;  but  - 

"  Come,  now ;  I  'm  not  going  to  believe  that.  There 
is  more  than  you  have  told  me." 

Her  face  betrayed  her.  Why  had  she  withheld  the 
whole  truth,  if  only  not  to  lose  in  his  eyes?  He  saw 
her  confusion,  and  all  the  happy  horde  of  doubts 
shrieked  once  more  about  him.  He  put  his  hand  to 
his  throat  and  then  looked  away  from  her. 

"  Amy,  I  must  know.  On  your  word  of  honor,  is 
what  you  have  told  me  the  truth?  "  He  hesitated,  and 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  161 

added  in  almost  a  whisper,  as  though  he  too  shrank 
before  the  test,  "  All  the  truth?  " 

She  felt  cold  to  her  finger-tips,  and  in  the  palms  of 
her  hands  the  perspiration  rose. 

"  It  is  dreadful  —  I  am  going  to  lie ;  I  must  lie, 
there  is  no  other  way  out,"  she  said  to  herself,  even 
while  calmly  and  deliberately  she  answered : 

"  Why,  of  course,  Andrew  —  absolutely  all." 

"  This  young  cub  means  nothing  to  you?  " 

"  Oh,  that  —  I  swear  it  to  you !  " 

"  There  is  one  way  to  find  out,"  he  said  quietly. 
He  stepped  to  the  door  and  rang  the  bell.  Morley 
appeared.  "  Send  Gregory  here." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?"  she  cried. 

"  That  is  my  affair." 

"  Andrew,  you  are  in  my  house,  before  my  servants 
—  you  won't  do  anything  to  humiliate  me  before 
them?" 

"  And  I  ?  Haven't  I  been  humiliated  before  them  ?" 
he  said  sternly.  " '  Humiliate  '  —  that 's  good !  What 
do  you  suppose  Gregory  thought  when  he  heard  that 
young  cub  lie  to  me!  " 

"Andrew,  be  careful!" 

"  Exactly.  I  intend  to  be  a  little  more  careful  about 
many  things." 

Before  she  could  protest,  Gregory  came  in,  fumbling 
at  the  buttons  of  the  duster  he  had  forgotten  to 
change.  The  butler's  agitation  fanned  Andrew's  fury. 

"  They  know  everything.  They  've  already  been 
talking  it  over!  This  is  what  it's  come  to!"  he 
thought.  Aloud  he  said, 

"  Gregory,  in  the  future,  when  Mr.  Dawson  calls 
here,  whenever  it  may  be,  neither  Mrs.  Forrester  nor 
I  are  at  home.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 


1 62  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

'''  Yes,  sir  —  perfectly,  sir,"  said  Gregory,  with  a 
frightened  look. 

"  That 's  all."  And  as  the  butler  stood  glancing 
from  husband  to  wife,  he  cried,  "  Well,  why  do  you 
stand  there  ?  Did  n't  you  hear  me  ?  That 's  all,  I 
said!" 

Gregory  backed  out,  bumping  against  the  wall, 
seized  the  knob  and  closed  the  door  with  a  crash. 

"  That  clears  the  atmosphere,"  said  Forrester 
deliberately. 

Amy  was  in  a  conflict  of  two  emotions.  The 
further  Andrew  receded  from  her  control,  the  more 
she  felt  a  thrill  of  admiration  at  his  masterfulness. 
But  this  sentiment  was  immediately  brushed  aside  by 
the  shock  to  her  pride.  A  servant  had  been  witness 
of  this  sudden  superiority,  which  in  itself  fascinated 
her.  She  had  received  the  greatest  affront  she  had 
ever  experienced.  In  this  home,  where  her  whim 
had  been  law,  suddenly  the  man  had  stepped  in  and 
shown  who  was  master. 

"  This  I  shall  never  forgive !  "  she  said  in  a  hard 
voice.  In  her  everything  grew  cold  and  rigid,  and, 
all  at  once,  from  the  weak,  passionate  longing  for  his 
caress  of  a  moment  before,  she  felt  a  blind,  uneasy 
revolt,  a  hatred,  the  same  hardening  of  all  her  nature 
that  she  had  been  amazed  to  see  in  him. 

"  I  am  not  through,"  he  said,  checking  her  with  a 
gesture.  "  I  shall  assume  that  after  what  has  hap 
pened  Dawson  will  not  appear  at  your  dance." 

"  I  shall  dance  with  Mr.  Dawson,"  she  said  slowly. 

"  I  forbid  you.    Understand  me,  I  forbid  you !  " 

"  And  I  tell  you  now,"  she  cried,  facing  him  defi 
antly,  "  now,  after  what  you  Ve  done,  I  shall  dance 
with  Tody  Dawson !  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  163 

"  I  think,  when  you  consider  calmly,"  he  said 
sternly,  "  when  you  realize  what  such  a  defiance  will 
mean  —  you  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  What  you 
do  outside  my  house,  whom  you  see,  I  cannot  control ; 
but  here  in  my  home  —  " 

"  It  is  my  house  as  much  as  yours !  "  she  cried 
indignantly. 

"  Quite  true ;  but  there  is  one  obligation  incumbent 
on  you,"  he  said  sternly,  "  to  see  that  my  dignity  is 
respected.  When  any  man  tells  me  a  lie  as  to  the 
motives  of  his  tete-a-tete  with  you  —  he  does  n't  come 
in  here  again." 

"  Andrew  —  I  warn  you,  Andrew,  I  won't  accept 
this,"  she  said,  in  a  choking  voice. 

"  You  must  take  the  responsibility  of  your  own  de 
cision  then,"  he  said  coldly.  He  looked  at  her  a  mo 
ment  and  drew  a  clipping  from  his  pocket.  "  I  don't 
know  whether  you  have  read  this  pleasant  reference 
to  us.  I  have."  And  he  flung  on  the  table  the  un 
lucky  number  of  the  Tattle-tale. 

"  You  don't  accuse  me  —  "  she  began  indignantly, 
when  as  though  the  imps  of  ill  chance  were  determined 
to  overwhelm  her  with  false  testimony,  for  the  third 
time,  the  telephone  broke  in.  Their  nerves  were  at 
the  snapping  tension.  The  metallic,  shrill  note  was 
the  last  irritation  to  him. 

"  What  —  another !  "  he  cried,  with  an  ugly  laugh. 
"  So  this  is  what  it 's  come  to !  " 

His  hand  went  out  in  blind  anger,  struck  the  tele 
phone  and  swept  it  from  the  table.  With  a  crash  it 
went  rolling  to  the  floor  between  them.  She  shrank 
back  with  a  scream,  throwing  up  her  arm.  He  stood 
breathing  hard,  his  lips  working  spasmodically.  Then, 
with  an  effort,  he  turned  and  rushed  from  the  room. 


VI 

this  be  Andrew?"  Amy  said  to  herself  in 
amazement.  Had  the  floor  suddenly  parted 
and  Gregory  appeared  on  extended  wings,  she  could 
not  have  been  more  astonished.  For  two  years  she 
had  never  known  her  husband  but  as  the  most  com 
plaisant  and  tractable  of  men,  unfailing  in  good 
humor,  proud  of  her  social  triumphs,  an  inexhaustible 
bank  to  meet  every  caprice.  Twenty  times  she  had 
said  to  Irma : 

"  Andrew  is  the  most  perfect  of  husbands.  He  lets 
me  do  exactly  what  I  want.  He  has  absolute  faith  in 
me.  Really,  I  think  he  adores  it,  the  more  men  are 
attentive  to  me." 

And,  all  at  once,  without  warning,  this  outburst, 
this  arbitrary  and  violent  climax  of  Dawson's  banish 
ment  !  She  who  had  looked  at  other  wives  in  superior 
pride  had  suddenly  been  overwhelmed  with  the  ugly 
reality.  The  first  quarrel  had  come,  and  with  it  the 
realization  that  here  was  a  new  man  —  very  different 
from  the  adoring  Andrew  of  the  past  —  a  will  and  a 
temper  to  be  reckoned  with  in  future,  an  anger  that 
had  left  her  cold  with  physical  fear ! 

She  stooped  and  picked  up  Dawson's  card,  now 
twisted  into  an  unrecognizable  shred,  and  the  copy  of 
the  Tattle-tale  which  he  had  flung  down.  Then,  notic 
ing  the  telephone,  she  swept  it  up  hastily.  But  no 
sooner  had  she  replaced  the  receiver,  than  the  bell  took 
up  its  shrill  clamoring. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  .165 

For  the  moment,  she  was  seized  with  the  same  vio 
lent  desire  to  sweep  it  aside  which  had  possessed  her 
husband. 

"  Well,  who  is  it?  "  she  demanded  angrily. 

It  was  Tody  Dawson. 

She  covered  the  receiver  hastily  and  glanced  about 
with  a  frightened  look. 

"  Mrs.  Forrester  is  out !  "  she  said  abruptly,  and  set 
the  receiver  down  with  a  bang.  Of  course,  he  had 
telephoned  to  warn  her  of  his  break,  but  the  boyish 
imprudence  of  the  move  increased  her  irritation. 

"  The  worst  is,  I  acted  as  though  I  were  guilty/* 
she  thought,  as  she  entered  her  boudoir.  Her  cheeks 
were  burning  with  a  dry,  feverish  anger.  She  re 
peated  insistently,  "  No ;  never  —  I  '11  never  forgive 
him!" 

Her  husband's  room  adjoined  hers.  She  marched 
directly  to  the  door,  threw  it  open,  and  said  sharply, 

"  Andrew !  " 

The  room  was  empty.  He  had  left  the  house.  She 
came  back,  frowning  and  uneasy,  vaguely  alarmed  at 
this  disappearance,  which  her  excited  imagination 
magnified.  What  could  she  do?  There  must  be  some 
explanation  —  matters  could  not  be  left  like  this.  She 
dressed,  glanced  at  the  clock,  and  hurried  down  to  the 
waiting  car. 

"  Why  did  I  act  as  though  I  were  guilty  ?  "  she  re 
peated,  frowning.  "  I  even  told  a  lie,  a  foolish  lie !  " 

Yet  it  was  impossible  to  forgive  such  a  public  humil 
iation —  quite  impossible!  Then  her  anger  veered  to 
Tody.  What  had  possessed  him  to  tell  such  a  stupid 
lie  —  to  call  up  on  the  telephone,  when  her  husband 
might  have  been  there?  Perhaps  Andrew  had  over 
heard  —  there  was  a  connection  in  his  room  —  per- 


1 66  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

haps  that  was  why  he  had  rushed  away.  Of  course, 
if  he  was  jealous,  it  did  look  terribly,  with  all  those 
unfortunate  telephone  calls.  Suddenly  she  sat  upright. 

"  But  Andrew  himself  told  me  to  play  all  I  wanted 
to  —  of  course  he  did !  And  now  he  reproaches  me !  " 

Why  had  n't  she  thought  of  that  at  the  time  of  their 
quarrel  ?  There  was  her  answer  —  to  him  and  to  all 
the  doubts  which  had  troubled  her  conscience.  She 
had  done  only  what  he  had  wished  her  to  do.  If  she 
had  unwittingly  offended  against  appearances,  he  was 
responsible.  Her  innocence  appeared  to  her  so  radi 
antly  clear  that  she  settled  back  with  a  deep  sigh  of 
content.  When  she  saw  him  again,  she  would  con 
front  him  with  this  defence.  What  could  he  answer? 
Absolutely  nothing!  So  relieved  was  her  conscience 
that  by  the  time  she  reached  Lazare's,  she  was  in  the 
mood  to  make  excuses  for  what  she  had  sworn  never 
to  forgive. 

It  was  almost  two  by  the  buhl  clock  hid  in  the  palms 
as  she  hurried  through  the  antechamber,  where  the 
first  person  she  ran  into  was  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  who 
had  been  telephoning  frantically. 

"  Really,  Amy  —  when  we  are  going  to  a  matinee 
—  this  is  exaggerating  it !  " 

"  My  dear,  Andrew  turned  up  unexpectedly,"  she 
began  glibly.  "  I  just  could  not  get  away." 

She  was  in  the  dining  room,  smiling  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left,  making  for  a  corner  table  v.  hich  was 
always  reserved  for  their  special  group.  Gladys  Chal- 
loner's  eyes  were  sharp  and  malicious;  it  would  never 
do  to  let  her  suspect  the  quarrel.  She  was  composing 
her  expression  when,  all  at  once,  she  was  thrown  off 
her  guard.  At  their  table,  where  they  had  drawn  up 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  167 

chairs  for  a  word  of  greeting,  she  saw  her  cousin,  Fifi 
Nordstrum,  and  Monte  Bracken. 

She  had  known  that  he  was  returned  from  Europe. 
She  had  read  of  his  exploits  lately  at  Palm  Beach,  but 
in  the  long  intervals  since  she  had  last  seen  him,  the 
impression  of  their  last  intimate  conversation  had  re 
mained  so  vivid  in  her  imagination  that  to  happen 
upon  him  now  in  this  odd  conjecture  startled  her. 

He  arose  at  her  approach.  By  the  look  in  his  eyes 
she  saw  that  he  did  not  at  once  recognize  her,  until, 
by  Fifi's  greeting,  he  could  place  her. 

"  Sorry  to  be  late  —  husband  turned  tip,"  she  said 
lightly.  "  Why,  Fifi  dear,  thought  you  were  in 
Florida!" 

"  Just  bobbed  up,"  said  Fifi,  embracing  her.  "  Go 
on,  Monte.  Monte  is  too  delightful,"  she  added,  in 
explanation.  "  He  has  just  been  wiping  up  the  floor 
with  us,  and  Gladys  and  Kitty  are  furious." 

"  Monte  is  exceedingly  personal,"  said  Mrs.  Chal- 
loner  frigidly. 

"  Rats !  "  said  Fifi.  "  There  are  thousands  like  you, 
Gladys." 

"But  what's  he  been  saying?"  said  Irma  en 
couragingly. 

"  The  most  dastardly  attack  I  could  make,"  said 
Bracken,  smiling.  "  If  I  had  accused  you  of  being 
uneducated,  parasites,  or  immoral,  that  would  be  noth 
ing!  But  I  remarked  that  the  New  York  woman  did 
not  know  how  to  dress,  and  the  row  started." 

"  But,  Monte,  every  one  admits  that  we  are  the  best 
dressed  women  in  the  world !  "  said  Irma,  in  protest. 

"  There  you  go !  What  do  you  mean  by  best 
dressed?" 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 


1 68  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  I  mean  dressed  in  perfect  taste  for  every  occasion." 

"  Oh,  go  on  and  attack  us !  "  said  Kitty. 

"  With  pleasure.  You  dress  for  the  street  car  as 
you  dress  for  a  ball.  There  is  nothing  progressive 
in  your  art  —  everything  is  thrown  out  at  once.  A 
well-bred  woman  in  Europe  who  is  well  dressed  is  an 
artist.  When  she  goes  shopping,  she  goes  shopping, 
and  not  to  attract  the  admiration  of  motormen,  bell 
boys  and  shop  clerks.  She  would  be  offended  by  such 
attention.  So  she  dresses  not  to  be  noticed.  If  she 
lunches  in  a  restaurant,  she  does  not  offer  herself  to 
the  vulgar  stare  of  a  crowd  as  she  would  to  her  friends 
in  the  shelter  of  her  home." 

"  This  hits  me !  "  said  Kitty. 

"  Certainly.  But  it  does  not  distinguish  you,  my 
dear  Kitty,"  said  Bracken,  laughing. 

"  Well,  we  overdress,"  said  Gladys,  shrugging  her 
shoulders. 

"  Ah,  but  it 's  more  than  that  —  you  don't  compre 
hend  that  to  be  a  woman  is  an  art  in  itself !  " 

"  Now  you  interest  me,"  said  Irma,  nodding  in 
approval,  while  each  in  turn,  at  this  excursion  into 
the  only  field  which  completely  absorbed  them,  leaned 
forward  expectantly. 

"  To  charm  always  and  unfailingly,  a  woman  must 
understand  the  value  of  surprises.  She  should  know 
how  to  admit  a  man  progressively  to  her  intimacy, 
and  to  make  him  feel  that  each  approaching  step  is  a 
privilege." 

"Blessed  if  I  get  that!"  said  Kitty  explosively, 
while  Irma  nodded  thoughtfully. 

"If  you  meet  a  woman  in  the  morning,  you  do  not 
wish  to  see  her  as  she  is  in  the  afternoon.  If  you 
meet  her  in  the  afternoqn  in  public,  you  ought  to  feel 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  169 

that  there  is  a  final  intimacy  that  she  reserves  for  you 
solely  in  her  own  home.  The  trouble  here  is,  you 
make  no  distinction  between  the  admiration  of  the 
crowd  and  the  tribute  from  the  privileged  friend. 
You  are  well  dressed  always,  but  —  how  shall  I  say  ? 

—  you  are  well  dressed  as  —  " 

"  Say  it,  Monte !  "  said  Fifi,  with  her  elbows  on  the 
table.  "  As  demi-mondaines  are  well  dressed." 

"But  why  not?"  said  Irma  lightly;  for  the  topic 
had  now  run  to  a  favorite  pose  of  hers.  "  As  for  me, 
I  say  it  frankly,  I  admire  them!  They  are  the  only 
real  women  to-day.  What  they  do  they  do  well  —  " 

"  Irma !  "  said  Kitty,  closing  her  ears  with  a  pre 
tense  of  being  scandalized. 

"  But  I  mean  it !  Why  not  be  frank  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Dellabarre.  "  We  do  imitate  them.  Monte  's  right. 
You  do  and  I  do.  Don't  be  foolish  —  of  course  we 
do!  Don't  we  fall  over  every  little  dancer  or  actress 
who  turns  up?  Don't  we  fight  to  have  them  at  our 
tables,  copy  their  dress,  their  hair,  their  slang?  We  do 

—  only,  we  do  it  badly." 

The  conversation  ran  into  distinctions  which  scan 
dalized  the  ears  of  an  out-of-town  couple  at  the  next 
table.  For,  at  this  time,  Irma's  pose  was  a  cloak  of 
bravado  which  many  women  of  society  liked  to  assume 
in  the  effort  to  startle  and  astound. 

Amy  took  no  part  in  the  discussion,  hearing  little 
that  was  said,  yet  if  her  mind  could  not  concentrate  on 
Monte  Bracken's  argument,  she  had,  as  always,  a  feel 
ing  of  his  mental  superiority.  Her  own  perplexities, 
the  sudden  disturbance  of  her  equanimity,  the  new 
struggle  ahead  which  she  foresaw  must  come  with  her 
husband  if  she  were  to  regain  her  threatened  suprem 
acy  obsessed  her  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  thoughts. 


1 70  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

In  the  air  was  the  arrogant  dominion  of  the  New; 
fetish  and  tyrant  of  the  sensation-craving  crowd. 
Lazare's  was  the  newest  restaurant,  with  the  newest 
orchestra  and  the  newest  dancing  favorites  to  patron 
ize  their  dance  hall.  A  new  style  had  made  last  sea 
son's  dresses  grotesque,  a  new  lace-brim  hat  was  the 
magnet  of  all  feminine  eyes.  About  them  the  con 
versation  ran  on  the  new  plays,  the  new  books,  the 
newest  pianist,  and  the  newest  scandal.  Nothing  could 
survive  six  months  in  the  forcing  heat  of  this  social 
hothouse,  where  every  luxury  of  the  body  was  flaunted, 
where  every  sensation  had  to  have  novelty,  where  a 
brilliant,  driven,  pleasure-drugged  society  met  in  its 
search  for  the  extraordinary,  for  the  bizarre  —  for 
the  thing  that  astounded.  And  she,  Amy  Forrester, 
had  become  one  of  them,  as  he  had  prophesied.  How 
strange  that  Monte  Bracken  should  bob  up  in  her  life 
at  this  moment !  She  was  superstitious,  as  all  women 
are  in  misfortune.  There  was  something  unnatural 
in  this  reminder  of  the  past  —  a  sign  and  a  warning ! 
Perhaps,  after  all,  she  was  wrong  —  all  wrong.  From 
time  to  time,  as  he  continued  his  bantering  attack  with 
Irma  and  Gladys,  his  glance  rested  on  her  with  grow 
ing  curiosity.  What  was  he  thinking?  Did  he  re 
member  ?  Once  he  spoke  her  name,  slurring  it  —  she 
was  not  sure  but  that  he  had  called  her  "  Mrs.  Foster." 
If  he  remembered,  there  must  be  a  touch  of  malice 
behind  the  amusement  in  his  eyes. 

"  If  a  woman 's  unhappy,  she 's  lazy,"  said  Fifi, 
closing  the  subject  in  her  downright  way.  She  rose 
with  a  glance  at  her  watch. 

"  I  agree,  and  I  escape  on  the  word,"  he  said, 
laughing  at  Kitty's  militant  expression.  He  turned 
deliberately  to  Amy,  holding  out  his  hand. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  171 

"  I  see  you  have  just  remembered  me,"  she  said. 

"  Not  quite  that  —  readjusted  my  memories,"  he 
said,  smiling.  And  then,  with  that  assumption  of 
intimacy  which  never  offended  in  him,  he  added, 
"  Are  you  going  to  ask  me  to  call?  " 

"  Please  —  soon." 

She  watched  him  as  he  made  his  adieux.  He  had 
not  changed  much  —  if  any.  He  had  gained  in 
authority  —  a  trifle  thinner  in  the  face  and  under  the 
cheek  bones.  He  had  the  same  easy  bearing  toward 
life,  the  same  tolerant  amusement  in  his  keen  eyes; 
and  yet  there  was  a  new  note  which  arrested  her  atten 
tion  —  a  note  of  sadness,  or  if  not  quite  that,  of  rest 
lessness,  of  being  unattached  to  life  —  a  seeking  for 
some  intangible  help,  which  she  detected  for  the  first 
time. 

"What's  this  stuff  about  our  being  lazy?"  said 
Kitty,  who  had  been  puzzled  by  the  intricacies  of  the 
conversation. 

"  Now  that  we  are  alone,"  said  Irma,  laughing, 
"  let 's  tell  the  truth." 

"  What  —  do  you  mean  to  say  a  clever  woman  can 
do  what  she  pleases  —  that  is,  of  course  —  you  know 
what  I  mean." 

The  other  burst  out  laughing. 

"Flirt  to  your  heart's  content?  Certainly,"  said 
Irma.  "  Fifi  has  hit  it  —  we  are  just  simply  lazy.  We 
take  husbands  for  granted.  If  we  'd  give  one  tenth 
the  time  to  managing  them  that  we  do  to  playing 
around  —  if  we  showed  just  as  much  cleverness  with 
our  husbands  as  with  other  men  —  there  would  be  no 
divorces." 

"  Irma,  you  're  a  nice  one  to  talk !  " 

"  My  dear,  when  Rudy  flies  into  a  tantrum,  I  blame 


172  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

myself.  Let 's  whisper  the  truth :  any  woman  can  do 
what  she  wants  and  keep  her  husband,  if  she  is  n't  too 
lazy  to  try." 

"  Not  always,"  said  Gladys,  "  but,  even  then,  with  a 
little  attention  —  " 

"  My  Lord,  I  must  be  the  limit  then  —  I  certainly 
can't  do  it !  "  said  Kitty  naively.  "  I  tried,  but  it  was 
an  awful  bore.  Who  wants  a  husband  around  all  the 
time,  tripping  over  your  skirts  ?  Just  because  you  're 
married,  you  don't  have  to  treat  all  men  as  though 
they  were  lepers !  " 

At  this  moment,  a  boy  approached  with  a  telephone 
slip  for  Mrs.  Challoner,  who  took  it,  glanced  at  it, 
smiled,  and  rose  to  answer. 

"  I  suppose  you  call  that  being  clever,"  said  Kitty 
instantly.  "  Gladys  gets  me.  The  number  of  men  she 
can  keep  going  without  snarling  the  threads  beats  me !  " 

Several  younger  men  came  in  and  joined  their  table 
—  Laracy,  Pardee,  young  Fortescue,  and,  finally,  Tody 
Dawson,  who  drew  up  his  chair  at  Amy's  side  and 
looked  unutterably  melancholy  and  submissive,  refus 
ing  to  join  the  chorus  of  raillery  which  always  cen 
tered  about  Kitty  Lightbody's  incursions  into  philos 
ophy.  Amy  withdrew,  too,  from  the  conversation,  a 
prey  to  her  thoughts.  The  discussion  left  her  heavy- 
hearted.  Was  it  true  that  she,  too,  was  coming  to  this 
light  acceptance  of  marriage?  She  felt  like  crying 
out :  "  Wait,  let  me  think  it  over !  Give  me  time  — 
everything  is  rushing  so.  It  is  n't  fair  —  everything 
is  being  thrust  upon  me  all  at  once !  " 

"Lord  sakes,  Amy,  if  you  're  pining  for  your  hus 
band  as  bad  as  that,"  said  Kitty  Lightbody  suddenly, 
"  fly  to  him !  You  're  worse  than  a  girl  when  she  's 
engaged." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  173 

She  roused  herself  hastily,  defending  herself  with 
spirit  against  the  laugh  which  followed. 

"  Speaking  of  engagements,"  said  Laracy,  "  heard 
the  latest?  Fifi  and  Monte  Bracken." 

"Fifi?"  said  Gladys  scornfully.  "Fifi  doesn't 
count !  Men  propose  to  her  out  of  politeness.  Fifi  's 
collecting  engagement  rings." 

Irma  and  Amy  looked  at  each  other  with  the  same 
impulse,  the  same  question  in  their  glance,  and  then 
uneasily  away. 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  frowning. 

"Fact?"  said  Laracy.  "They're  together  all  the 
time." 

''  Well,  if  we  want  to  get  the  second  act,"  said 
Kitty,  springing  up,  "  time  to  be  moving." 

Amy,  who  had  stopped  to  greet  an  acquaintance, 
was  momentarily  detained.  When  she  reached  the 
sidewalk,  the  others  had  gone;  only  Tody  was  wait 
ing,  ill  at  ease  and  dejected. 

"  I  'm  sorry.  They  did  n't  want  to  wait,"  he  said 
contritely.  "If  you'd  rather  —  I  can  take  a  taxi." 

She  frowned  and  stepped  into  the  car,  motioning 
him  to  follow. 

"  Now  go  for  me,"  he  said  with  a  groan.  "  I 
deserve  it,  I  know.  I  Ve  called  myself  every  name  I 
could  think  of." 

She  was  in  no  humor  to  spare  him. 

"Why  did  you  do  it?  And  before  Gregory,  too. 
What  will  he  think?" 

"  I  know ;  I  know !  "  he  said  miserably.  "  I  lost  my 
head  —  like  a  double-barreled  fool  that  I  am !  " 

"  But  why  say  anything?  "  she  said,  exasperated. 

"  Good  Lord,  Amy,"  he  said,  surprised,  "  be  reason 
able!  I  had  to  say  something." 


174  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"Why?" 

"  Well,  you  see  —  at  such  an  hour  —  "  He  began 
to  flounder,  bit  his  tongue,  and  said  desperately,  "  I 
had  to  give  some  explanation  —  really." 

It  came  to  her  like  a  shock  —  as  though  uncon 
sciously  Tody  himself  were  pleading  Andrew's  cause 
—  that  he,  too,  had  realized  that  there  was  something 
undignified,  something  demanding  an  explanation  in 
his  presence  under  the  conditions.  She  frowned. 

"  I  suppose  you  told  him  —  the  real  reason  ?  "  said 
Dawson  slowly. 

"  Of  course  —  there  was  nothing  else  to  do." 

"  Oh,  Lord !  " 

'  You  have  made  me  exceedingly  uncomfortable  — 
exceedingly  unhappy,"  she  said.  She  looked  at  him, 
angry  that  such  an  inconsequential  element  in  her  rou 
tine  of  pleasure  should  have  the  power  to  trouble  her 
intimate  tranquillity.  But  she  could  not  let  him  sus 
pect  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  so  she  said,  "  If 
Andrew  was  n't  perfectly  wonderful,  it  would  have 
been  more  than  disagreeable." 

"  I  '11  do  anything  you  say  —  I'll  go  to  him  myself." 

"  You  '11  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  she  said  sharply. 
"  The  whole  thing  is  ridiculous  —  but  it 's  over !  " 

Arrived  at  the  theater,  she  hastened  into  the  box. 
Despite  all  of  Laracy's  humor  and  the  bantering  of  her 
friends,  she  felt  too  depressed  to  conceal  her  emotion. 
Their  flippancy  annoyed  her,  their  humor  was  stale; 
their  assumption  of  worldliness  was  ridiculous.  She 
thought  of  Andrew  as  he  had  been  in  his  anger  — 
masterful,  trenchant,  and  unbending. 

"  Good  heavens,  these  are  nothing  but  puppets !  " 
she  thought.  :<  There  is  not  one  real  man  among 
them  —  and  we  spend  our  time  fighting  over  them!" 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  175 

At  the  close  of  the  act,  she  rose,  pretending  a  head 
ache,  and  went  home,  refusing  an  escort.  She  waited 
alone  in  her  bedroom,  trying  to  read,  listening  for  her 
husband's  return.  At  six,  a  message  came  from  the 
office  that  she  was  not  to  change  her  plans,  he  would 
dine  at  the  club. 

"  He  might  have  called  me  himself,'7  she  thought, 
staring  at  the  wall.  Even  if  she  had  been  wrong,  he 
might  have  made  allowances  for  her  —  every  one 
always  had.  Hurt,  weak,  and  rebellious,  she  dressed 
and  went  to  dinner,  a  stiff  affair,  new  acquaintances, 
where  she  was  bored  and  restless.  At  ten  o'clock  she 
left  and  hurried  home,  hoping  to  find  him  back.  Since 
their  quarrel  of  the  morning,  she  had  done  nothing 
but  compare  him  to  the  men  she  saw  about  her.  The 
new  Andrew  impressed  and  awed  her.  And  though 
at  times  she  rebelled  furiously  against  the  tyranny  of 
his  uncompromising  attitude,  she  felt  little  by  little 
that  this  unsuspected  strength  dominated  her.  In  half 
an  hour  of  sudden  authority,  he  had  won  more  than  in 
two  years  of  lavish  devotion. 

"  I  will  do  anything  for  him,"  she  said  to  herself, 
in  a  flood  of  emotion,  "  anything.  I  '11  give  this  all 
up,  if  he  really  thinks  I  am  wrong.  I  '11  give  up  every 
thing.  I  will  go  with  him  and  lead  his  life,  only  — 
only,  he  must  say  he  's  sorry.  I  can't  give  in  utterly. 
No;  I  can't  do  that!" 

He  had  not  returned.  She  went  up  to  her  room, 
slipped  into  a  negligee  and  dismissed  Morley  for  the 
night.  It  was  almost  eleven. 

"  He  ought  to  be  back  soon,"  she  thought,  as  she 
took  up  a  magazine  to  tease  the  time  along.  But  at 
the  end  of  a  moment  she  perceived  that  she  did  not 
know  what  she  was  reading. 


1 76  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"But  he  is  wrong;  he  is  wrong,  too!"  she  said, 
dropping  the  periodical  wearily. 

In  the  house,  not  a  sound  could  be  heard  except  the 
ticking  of  the  little  clock  on  her  table.  Outside,  the 
street  had  gone  to  sleep,  too.  At  most,  a  distant  whir 
of  motors  or  the  echo  of  a  passing  train  grew,  swelled, 
and  dwindled  into  the  silence  of  the  night.  She  felt 
alone,  abandoned  in  the  emptiness,  afraid  as  in  her 
childhood  she  had  been  afraid  of  the  peopled  dark, 
with  a  weak,  helpless  feeling  of  playing  with  forces 
she  did  not  understand.  At  midnight,  she  heard  the 
heavy  clang  of  the  outer  door,  then  his  mounting  steps 
on  the  marble  stairway. 

Would  he  come  directly  to  her  room?  She  held 
her  breath  and  her  pulse  quickened.  He  passed.  A 
moment  later  she  heard  the  click  of  the  electric  switch 
as  he  entered  his  bedroom. 

"  He  will  knock  in  a  moment,"  she  thought,  with  her 
glance  on  the  knob  of  the  door,  that,  at  times,  seemed 
to  turn  slowly.  "  Perhaps  he  thinks  I  'm  asleep."  She 
rose  and  moved  across  the  room,  humming  to  herself, 
that  he  might  know  she  was  up. 

"  He  '11  come  —  he  must  come  now !  "  she  said, 
stopping,  her  hands  pressed  over  her  breast  to  still  the 
flurry  of  her  breathing.  Minute  after  minute  she 
stood  there,  waiting  — 

Should  she  go  in?  Could  she  make  the  first  over 
ture?  Her  whole  nature  rebelled  against  the  thought. 
To  do  so  was  to  admit  her  offending  the  greater.  To 
make  the  first  advance  would  be  to  renounce  her  old 
empire  over  him. 

"  No,  no ;  he  must  be  the  first !    He  must !  " 

She  stretched  out  her  arms,  and  her  lips  moved  with 
his  name.  He  must  know  that  she  was  there !  If  he 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  177 

loved  her,  he  must  feel  that  she  was  calling  him  to 
her! 

All  at  once  she -heard  the  click  of  the  electric  button, 
then  the  sudden  groan  of  the  bed. 

"  He  won't  come  —  he  won't  come !  "  she  mur 
mured.  "  He  knows  I  am  here,  waiting,  and  he  won't 
come !  " 

The  room  grew  blurred  before  her  eyes.  She 
groped  her  way  to  her  bed,  fell  on  it,  and  buried  her 
head  in  her  pillow. 

"  He  must  n't  hear  me.  He  shan't  know  how  I 
suffer,"  she  said  to  herself  hysterically.  Yet  her  wish 
was  contrary  to  her  thought.  Only  a  door  separated 
them.  Despite  all  her  effort  he  must  hear  her,  he 
must  know  that  she  was  sobbing  her  heart  away  — 

In  the  morning,  when  she  awoke  heavy  from  a  tor 
mented  night,  the  maid  brought  her  this  letter : 

MY  DEAR  AMY  : 

I  am  leaving  on  an  early  train,  and  perhaps  it 
is  better  so.  It  does  no  good  to  talk  over  an  ugly 
situation.  There  are,  however,  several  things  I 
must  say  to  you.  On  reflection,  I  feel  that  I  was 
wrong  in  giving  orders  as  to  whom  you  might  or 
might  not  receive  in  your  house.  It  is  your  house 
—  and,  in  the  second  place,  it  is  impossible  to  live 
on  the  basis  of  force.  I  shall  therefore  leave  you 
full  liberty  for  your  actions.  You  will  realize, 
I  hope,  the  full  responsibility  this  entails.  I  shall 
await  your  decision. 

ANDREW. 


VII 

HE  express  was  running  into  the  outskirts  of 
Buffalo  on  the  last  lap  of  its  journey  to  New 
York.  Andrew  Forrester,  in  a  private  stateroom, 
surrounded  by  magazines  half  read,  three  novels  yet 
to  be  opened,  and  a  drifting  mass  of  newspapers  which 
littered  the  floor,  waited  eagerly  the  moment  when  he 
could  descend  for  a  long,  nervous  tramping  of  the 
platform.  He  was  returning  home  for  a  brief  twelve 
hours,  for  which  he  would  have  come  a  few  thousand 
miles,  that  his  presence  might  be  remarked  at  the 
Versailles  fete  of  his  brilliant  young  wife.  A  dozen 
times  he  had  vowed  to  remain  away,  but,  in  the  end, 
he  had  come.  He  had  come  grimly,  because  his  pride 
was  in  question,  and  whatever  his  private  misery,  his 
vanity  insisted  on  concealing  it  before  the  world. 

A  crisis  had  arrived  in  his  married  life,  which  had 
to  be  met.  In  response  to  his  letter,  Amy  had  written 
defying  his  authority,  announcing  her  intention  of 
dancing  the  minuet  with  Tody  Dawson.  He  did  not 
believe  that  she  would  go  so  far  as  this,  but  if  she  did, 
he  would  meet  the  situation  as  it  must  be  met. 

"Everything  all  right,  Mr.  Forrester?"  asked  Per 
kins,  the  conductor,  an  old  friend,  who  never  failed 
to  stop  in  for  a  chat. 

"  Thanks,  yes.     Running  on  time?  " 

"  To  the  minute.  When  are  you  coming  out 
again?  " 

"  Just  up  for  over  night,  Perkins ;  back  with  you 
the  day  after." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  179 

"  Up  for  that  costume  ball,  eh  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  surprised.  "  How  do  you  know 
about  that?" 

"  My  missis  showed  me  something  about  it  in  the 
paper,"  said  Perkins.  "  She  keeps  an  eye  on  the 
doings  of  the  Four  Hundred." 

"  I  see.  Well,  drop  in  after  dinner  and  smoke  a 
cigar  with  me." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Forrester." 

He  tipped  his  hat  and  went  his  mechanical  way,  a 
thin,  chop-whiskered,  feeble-voiced  man  of  forty, 
with  a  sweeping  nose  and  the  Yankee's  prominent 
Adam's  apple.  Forrester  rang  for  the  porter. 

"  Sam,  get  all  the  papers  and  any  new  magazines, 
and  clear  out  this  truck." 

"  Yassir,  yassir,  I  sure  will,"  said  the  porter,  grin 
ning  from  ear  to  ear  with  the  certainty  of  fancy  tips. 
He  went  out,  hugging  the  discarded  newspapers,  which 
filled  his  arms  and  hid  his  shining  black  face. 

"If  she  does  what  she  wrote,"  said  Andrew  For 
rester  to  himself,  staring  out  at  the  squatter  settle 
ments  which  heralded  the  approach  of  the  city ;  "  if 
she  does  that,  it  means  only  one  thing."  He  laughed 
an  ugly  laugh.  "  Andrew  B.  Forrester,  what 's  the 
use  of  fooling  yourself  ?  It 's  all  over  long  ago,  and 
you  know  it.  You  might  as  well  readjust  things  now 
—  face  things  as  they  are."  Their  estrangement  was 
not  of  an  accident;  it  had  crept  gradually  in,  during 
the  long  months  of  his  absence,  fatuously  devoted  to 
his  dream  of  putting  her  on  an  equal  footing  with  the 
great  ones  of  America.  "  Suppose  you  've  only  your 
self  to  blame  —  but  then,  that  does  n't  help  matters. 
Good  God,  can't  a  woman  have  even  gratitude  —  if 
nothing  else  ?  " 


i8o  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

It  is  a  popular  belief  that  an  American  husband  is 
the  most  indulgent  in  the  world.  In  great  measure 
this  is  true,  but  it  is  also  true  that  he  is  the  most  sus 
ceptible  to  brusque  rebellion.  So  long  as  his  faith 
continues,  his  self-sacrifice  is  fabulous;  but  once  con 
vinced  of  ingratitude,  and  the  revulsion  in  his  nature 
has  the  force  of  dynamite.  Andrew  Forrester,  in  the 
direct  obstinacy  of  his  outlook  on  life,  knew  neither 
subtleties  nor  compromise.  Black  was  black  and  white 
was  white,  and  he  comprehended  no  diluting  shades. 
Out  of  the  ardent  impulse  of  his  nature,  he  had  conse 
crated  his  life  to  seek  for  her  the  precious  gifts  of 
pleasure.  That  was  a  fact.  She  had  suddenly  re 
vealed  herself  as  unable  to  consider  his  point  of  view, 
his  business  interests,  or  his  dignity.  Then  she  had 
announced  her  intention  of  flatly  disobeying  him. 
These  were  more  facts.  There  could  be  no  extenua 
tion  and  no  explanation.  If  the  old  attitude  could 
be  restored,  it  could  only  be  'by  an  unqualified  recog 
nition  of  the  justice  of  his  grievance.  That  there 
could  be  the  slightest  hesitation  on  her  part  in  ac 
knowledging  this,  once  the  question  clearly  put,  had 
astounded  him.  There  could  be  but  one  answer.  She 
did  not  love  him. 

All  this  was  clear  and  logical  as  a  business  proposi 
tion,  but  once  arrived  at  the  inevitable  conclusion,  he 
found  himself  wandering  back  into  mazes  of  puzzled 
conjecture. 

"  But  what  have  I  done  to  deserve  such  treat 
ment  ? "  he  thought  wearily,  going  over  the  past. 
"  What  is  it  she  can't  see  ?  Why  won't  she  realize 
that  I  am  the  important  one,  that  what  I  do  counts, 
that  if  I  am  hindered,  if  I  fail,  she  fails  —  but,  oh, 
Lord,  what's  the  use  of  hashing  that  over?  We've 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  181 

gone  beyond  that.  It 's  a  question  of  authority  now  — 
order  or  anarchy.  If  she  's  brought  back  that  young 
cub,  Dawson,  if  she  intends  to  sacrifice  me  rather  than 
him  —  well,  there  's  only  one  thing  to  be  done !  "  He 
fidgeted  in  his  seat,  retreating  before  an  ultimatum. 
"  Of  course  there  's  nothing  wrong  —  she  's  not  that 
kind.  Yes ;  I  know  that  —  God,  but  once  I  was  n't 
sure !  "  His  blood  leaped  up  hotly  at  the  thought. 
For  days  he  had  been  shaken  with  the  hot  insomnia 
of  jealousy,  ready  to  believe  anything.  Youth  sought 
youth  and  the  rapid  gaiety  of  its  own  generation.  He 
himself  had  willed  it.  The  next  moment  he  frowned, 
passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead.  "  No,  no ;  that 's 
ridiculous.  I  must  n't  let  my  imagination  run  away. 
I  'm  making  myself  suffer  for  nothing.  Whoa  there, 
Andrew  B.  Forrester !  " 

He  sprang  up,  searched  in  his  bag  for  a  cigar,  and, 
the  train  running  into  Buffalo,  descended.  It  was 
deep  into  the  evening,  and  in  .the  scurrying,  flower- 
laden  crowds  was  the  scent  of  the  full  spring.  He 
caught  a  newsboy  rushing  past  by  the  shoulders  and 
bought  a  newspaper,  opening  it  to  the  day's  reports  of 
the  stock  market.  Osaba  Refining  and  Smelting  had 
again  receded  a  fraction  on  unfavorable  news  from 
Mexico.  He  crumpled  up  the  paper  and  flung  it  on  a 
bench,  though  it  had  visualized  no  more  than  he  knew. 

"  Why  the  deuce  should  I  be  bothered  with  debts 
now,  when  I'm  making  twice  what  I  did?"  he  said 
savagely.  "  Then,  nothing  bothered  me  from  morn 
ing  to  night.  I  was  in  the  pink  of  condition,  could  eat 
like  a  schoolboy,  and  work  twenty  hours  at  a  stretch." 

In  two  years  he  had  trebled  his  debts.  Since  his 
marriage,  luck  had  run  persistently  against  him.  He 
had  played  for  the  gambler's  maximum,  sold. his  solid 


1 82  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

holdings,  accumulation  of  years,  to  plunge  into  the 
new  venture.  Confident  of  golden  horizons,  he  had 
taken  large  blocks  of  stock  on  margins.  To-day,  Osaba 
Refining  and  Smelting  was  fifteen  points  lower,  de 
spite  the  miracle  of  organization  and  development  he 
had  worked,  despite  the  net  earnings  and  the  pros 
pects  ahead.  By  one  of  those  tricks  of  fate  which 
the  American  financier  never  foresees  in  his  confident 
manipulations  of  destiny,  a  subordinate  officer  in  Tam- 
pico  had  affronted  the  dignity  of  the  American  nation, 
and  forty-eight  hours  later  war  hung  on  the  horizon. 
Consequently,  though  his  income  was  fifty  thousand  a 
year,  he  spent  seventy  and  faced  the  possibility  of  bor 
rowing  a  large  sum  in  order  not  to  sacrifice  part  of  his 
holdings. 

The  thought  of  bills,  large  or  small,  had  always  an 
noyed  him,  and  now,  confronted  with  the  specter  of 
Amy's  extravagance,  he  had  begun  to  age.  As  he 
moved  up  and  down,  immersed  in  gloomy  thoughts, 
his  stride  had  lost  its  alacrity.  Deprived  of  his  morn 
ing  gallop,  he  had  grown  soft  and  a  slight  embonpoint 
had  arrived.  Lines  had  gathered  about  the  eyes  and 
temples.  His  lips  had  a  trick  of  twitching  when  his 
mind  was  perplexed,  and  day  or  night  he  found  it  in 
creasingly  difficult  to  relax. 

"Well,  if  the  cub's  there  —  that '11  settle  it!"  he 
thought  again,  his  mind  reverting  to  the  approaching 
crisis.  "  Anyhow,  in  a  few  hours  I  '11  know  where  I 
stand." 

During  the  long  isolation  in  Mexico,  he  had  felt, 
with  an  increased  heaviness  of  heart,  the  change  in  her 
letters.  It  had  been  not  only  their  increasing  rarity, 
but  the  growing  note  of  complete  self -absorption 
which  had  warned  him  af  the  widening  chasm  between 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  183 

them.  The  only  result  of  his  self-abnegation  had  been 
to  give  wings  to  a  butterfly,  with  which  to  escape  from 
him. 

Like  most  American  men,  he  had  married  without 
the  slightest  contemplation  of  marriage.  He  had  had 
no  conception  either  of  the  new  duties  he  should  as 
sume  or  what  share  of  responsibility  in  this  new  atti 
tude  of  life  he  would  eventually  demand  from  his  wife. 
He  had  plunged  in,  without  chart  or  compass.  No  re 
ligious  training  had  prepared  him,  no  home  standards 
existed  for  the  necessary  background.  The  second  pe 
riod  had  now  arrived,  when  he  was  to  examine  log 
ically  what  he  had  done  on  impulse. 

"  But  what  have  I  done  that  was  wrong?  "  he  asked 
himself,  as  he  had  asked  a  hundred  times.  "  Where 
have  I  failed?  Given  without  asking  anything  in  re 
turn?  Perhaps."  That  was  the  tragedy  of  America, 
and  the  result  was  the  same,  whether  it  was  the  hus 
band  in  his  chivalry,  sacrificing  himself  to  the  youth  of 
his  wife,  or  the  parents,  educating  their  children  be 
yond  them  in  the  passionate  American  longing  to  raise 
those  they  loved  above  them.  "  I  should  have  made 
her  follow  me.  I  suppose  now  it  is  too  late,  "  he  said 
abruptly. 

The  incoming  crowds  surged  about  him,  whistles 
shrieking  in  his  ear,  great  volumes  of  heavy  vapor 
blowing  under  the  resounding  roof.  It  recalled  the 
first  parting  in  the  Grand  Central  Station,  when,  by 
some  impulse  of  her  deeper  self,  some  ominous  shrink 
ing  before  the  future,  she  had  clung  at  his  side  and 
begged  to  go  with  him. 

"How  queer  —  how  queer  life  is!"  he  thought, 
with  a  laugh  of  mockery.  '  There  was  one  moment 
when  everything  might  have  been  different  —  a  mo- 


184  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

ment  when  I  would  have  let  her  —  if  we  had  been 
alone  —  just  us  two  —  if  the  others  had  n't  been  there ! 
And  if  she  had  asked  the  next  time  — "  He 
shrugged  his  shoulders.  There  had  been  no  next  time ! 

The  whistle  gave  a  shrill  blast.  Sam  called  to  him 
in  warning.  He  swung  up  the  steps  and  returned  to 
his  seat. 

"  Well,  here  I  am,  and  what  am  I  going  to  do  about 
it  ?  "  he  said,  sorting  the  new  pile  of  periodicals  and 
newspapers.  "  Face  the  music,  of  course.  Other  men 
have,  and  life  goes  on  just  the  same." 

Perkins  came  in  after  dinner,  and  he  welcomed  the 
interruption  with  a  feeling  of  relief. 

"  Come  in,  come  in,  Perkins ;  Ijejre  's  your  cigar  — 
and  it 's  a  pretty  good  one,"  he  said, "extending  the  box. 
"  Take  a  couple  away  for  a  good  dinner  when  you  get 
home.  Well,  what 's  your  opinion  on  this  little  world 
of  ours?" 

The  thin  conductor  selected  the  cigars  with  an  air  of 
veneration,  pocketed  two  and  bit  a  third,  after  pinch 
ing  the  end,  in  order  to  save  the  precious  fraction. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Forrester ;  that  will  help  a  lot," 
he  said,  beaming  with  the  feeling  of  good  humor  For 
rester  communicated  to  those  who  approached  him. 
He  brought  forward  a  newspaper.  "  Notice  this  ?  " 

"No,  what  is  it?" 

"  Picture  of  your  missus." 

Forrester  took  the  paper,  drawing  back  and  nodding 
gravely.  Before  him  was  the  exquisite  profile  of  his 
wife  and  underneath : 

MRS.  ANDREW  B.  FORRESTER 

WHOSE  VERSAILLES  FETE  TO-NIGHT  is  AN  EVENT  OF 
THE  SEASON 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  185 

"  Yes ;  she  is  extraordinarily  pretty,"  he  said  to  him 
self,  examining  it  critically.  "  Quite  different  from 
any  one  else."  A  thrill  of  pride  went  through  him. 
"  Is  it  possible  that  I  am  in  love  with  her?  "  he  asked 
himself  anxiously.  "  That  I  can  still  be  in  love  with 
her?" 

"  Quite  a  story  about  the  ball,"  said  Perkins  admir 
ingly.  "  Description  of  the  costumes  and  all  that. 
Guess  every  one  worth  while  will  be  there,  won't 
they?" 

"  You  seem  quite  interested,"  said  Forrester.  He 
laid  down  the  paper,  pushing  it  a  little  away  from  him. 
This  was  a  new  side  of  Perkins  — whose  salary,  whose 
struggles  and  perplexities  and  hopes  he  knew,  as  he 
liked  to  know  the  inner  mechanism  of  all  lives. 

"  My  missus  thinks  a  lot  about  such  things,"  Per 
kins  said  apologetically.  '  You  see,  knowing  that  I 
know  you,  she  's  been  specially  interested  in  this.  She 
says  it  Js  the  most  elegant  thing  this  year." 

A  fantastic  idea  came  to  Forrester.  What  if  he 
gave  Mrs.  Perkins  the  chance  to  gaze  upon  this  para 
dise  of  her  imagination?  It  could  easily  be  arranged 
—  all  she  would  need  to  do  would  be  to  help  upstairs. 
But  immediately,  looking  at  Perkins,  he  said  to  him 
self  angrily : 

"  I  must  be  crazy !  Do  him  such  an  injustice  ?  Not 
by  a  long  shot !  " 

Out  loud  he  said : 

"  So  Mrs.  Perkins  reads  the  social  column,  eh  ?  " 

Perkins  nodded  gloomily. 

"  She  's  daffy  on  it."  He  blew  out  a  fragrant  cloud 
of  smoke,  and  looked  at  Forrester  inquiringly.  "  Mr. 
Forrester,  what  Js  gotten  into  the  women  folks  these 
days?" 


186  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  is  wrong?  "  he  answered 
defensively,  startled  at  a  question  which  came  so  close 
to  his  own  perplexities. 

"  Search  me,"  said  Perkins,  shaking  his  head.  He 
started  to  continue  the  subject,  hesitated  awkwardly, 
and  switched.  "  What  kind  of  openings  are  there 
down  in  Mexico  for  a  fellow  like  myself  ?  " 

"For  you,  Perkins?" 

"  Yes,  for  me.  I  Ve  been  wanting  to  make  a  shift," 
he  said,  looking  at  the  end  of  his  cigar  with  the  gravity 
that  one  assumes  with  brass  buttons.  He  tugged  at 
his  chopped  whiskers.  "  Yes,  Mr.  Forrester,  for  a 
long  time."  He  looked  up  quickly,  deciding  to  plunge 
in.  "  You  could  n't  use  me  somewhere,  could  you, 
Mr.  Forrester?  " 

"  Mexico  's  a  long  way  off,"  he  answered,  studying 
him  in  surprise,  "  and  just  at  present  it 's  no  place  for 
women." 

"  I  was  n't  thinking  of  taking  the  missus." 

"  Oh !  "  A  silence  rested  between  them.  "  Trouble 
of  some  sort  ?  "  said  Forrester  finally. 

"  Yes." 

"Not  in  the  family?" 

Perkins  began  to  play  with  the  brass  buttons  on  his 
uniform,  clearing  his  throat  nervously. 

"  Well,  that 's  about  it.    I  want  to  get  away." 

"  Sorry  to  hear  that,"  said  Forrester,  startled  at  the 
conjunction  of  circumstances. 

"  Mr.  Forrester,  what 's  got  into  the  women  folks 
these  days?"  the  conductor  repeated  all  at  once,  and 
Forrester,  at  a  loss  for  an  answer,  replied  again : 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  's  the  matter?  " 

"  You  can  search  me!  "  Perkins  said,  staring  out  of 
the  window.  "  It  was  all  right  the  first  years,  until  I 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  187 

got  a  couple  of  raises  —  until  we  settled  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Forrester,  I  think  it 's  the  dance  craze  's  got  a  lot 
to  do  with  it.  It  does  turn  their  heads,  particularly  if 
they  're  young  and  pretty."  He  stopped,  opened  a 
pocketbook,  and  brought  out  a  photograph.  "  Never 
showed  you  this,  did  I?  Quite  smart-looking  girl, 
is  n't  she?" 

"  Very,"  said  Forrester,  glancing  in  wonder  at  Per 
kins'  wife,  who  might  have  walked  out  of  his  own 
drawing-room. 

"  Some  style,"  said  the  conductor,  with  a  touch  of 
pride. 

Forrester  nodded,  pursed  his  lips,  and  handed  back 
the  photograph. 

"  You  have  to  pay  for  what  goes  on  that  back,  Per 
kins." 

"  Exactly  —  that 's  the  point,"  he  said  slowly. 
"  That 's  where  we  differ  —  one  of  the  points.  You 
see,  I  'm  thinking  ahead  —  there  's  a  good  ways  to  go 
still,  and  it  takes  a  powerful  store  of  nuts." 

"Saved  anything?" 

"  Six  hundred  in  the  bank  —  six  hundred,  that 's 
all,"  he  said  wearily.  He  drew  aside  and  nodded ;  then 
he  sat  up  with  a  jerk. 

"  Only  six  hundred  —  at  your  age !  "  said  Forrester, 
astonished.  "  Things  been  going  pretty  badly  then?  " 

"  Pretty  bad,  sir,  yes.  Oh,  there  's  nothing  wrong, 
you  know,  with  Nellie.  You  understand  what  I  mean." 

"  I  understand,"  said  Forrester,  gazing  out  of  the 
window. 

"  But  her  life  and  mine  don't  jibe.  It 's  society  's 
turned  her  head  —  all  these  political  picnics  and  balls, 
the  '  movies,'  the  friend  with  a  car  —  and  dancing 
every  afternoon.  I  've  tried  to  get  her  out  of  it.  But 


188  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

you  can't  budge  her  from  New  York  —  no,  sir ;  not 
an  inch !  I  'd  a  fine  opening  out  in  St.  Louis  with  my 
uncle,  in  a  wholesale  grocery.  But  she  would  n't  go." 

"  Perkins,  why  don't  you  divorce?"  said  Forrester 
abruptly.  Then  he  drew  back  and  stared  again  into 
the  flitting  hills,  shocked  at  the  echoes  of  what  he  had 
himself  pronounced. 

"  Well,  you  see,  there  's  a  couple  of  kiddies,"  Per 
kins  said  gently,  "  and  they  're  fond  of  her.  So  am  I 
—  in  a  way.  You  saw  what  she  looks  like.  She  's 
bright,  always  full  of  spirits.  No ;  I  would  n't  want 
to  do  anything  to  hurt  her.  But  some  one  's  got  to 
think  ahead  —  and  that 's  me.  I  want  to  get  away, 
Mr.  Forrester,  or  I  '11  be  losing  my  grip." 

Forrester  straightened  up,  drew  out  a  memorandum 
pad  and  pencil. 

"  Write  down  your  name  and  address." 

"  You  mean  —  you  '11  find  a  place  for  me  ?  " 

'*  You  bet  I  will !  "  he  said  emphatically.  He  spoke 
with  decision.  "  You  're  a  first-class,  corking  man, 
and  I  'm  going  to  use  you.  Now,  a  few  plain  words. 
What's  important  —  her  life  or  yours?  Who's  the 
worker  ?  Who  's  feeding  the  family  ?  These  things 
are  hard  —  hard  —  especially  coming  to  a  decision. 
But  make  your  decision,  stick  to  it,  and  you  '11  feel  like 
another  man.  She  won't  follow  you?  Make  her  an 
allowance  and  get  out.  You  come  to  me  to-morrow, 
when  you  've  told  her,  and  I  '11  take  care  of  you,  Per 
kins  —  and  you  won't  lose  by  it,  either.  Is  it  a  go  ?  " 

He  held  out  his  hand.  Perkins  took  it  slowly,  swal 
lowing  hard. 

"  It 's  a  miracle,  sir,  that 's  what  it  is  —  no  use  try 
ing  to  thank  —  " 

"  Don't.     I  guess  I  can  understand." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  189 

When  Perkins  presently  departed,  Forrester  craned 
forward,  arms  on  the  table,  hands  drawn  under  the 
chin,  held  for  hours  in  his  own  thoughts.  Before,  he 
had  felt  isolated  by  his  own  private  unhappiness,  now, 
a  certain  kinship  in  misery  descended  on  him  and 
eased  the  ache. 

"  Whatever  happens,  Andrew  B.  Forrester 's  not 
going  to  be  wrecked,  either,"  he  said  stubbornly. 
"  I  Ve  gambled  like  a  fool,  I  've  gotten  in  beyond  my 
depth.  I  Ve  lived  like  a  spendthrift.  Now  enough  — 
she  can  go  her  way  and  I  '11  go  mine,  but  her  way  is  n't 
going  to  sink  the  ship !  " 

He  was  still  in  this  belligerent  mood  as  the  train 
plunged  into  the  long  tunnel  below  Harlem.  He  rose 
and  went  out  on  the  platform.  A  gigantic  transfor 
mation  was  being  worked;  an  immense  system  was 
growing  around  the  shell  of  the  old,  layers  of  tracks 
being  built  beneath  their  roadbed,  houses  shored  up, 
caverns  opened,  new  supports  replacing  the  crumbling 
rock,  and  all  this  myriad  activity  going  on  night  and 
day,  without  a  single  minute's  disturbance  to  the  multi 
tudes  which  flowed  in  and  out. 

"  By  George,  that  is  great !  "  he  said  in  awe.  He 
would  have  liked  to  have  lifted  his  hat  in  token  of 
respect  before  the  genius  of  his  race,  which  stopped 
before  no  impossibility.  "  If  I  had  a  son,  I  'd  like  him 
to  do  big  things  like  that." 

But  he  had  no  son.     He  was  alone. 

In  the  station,  that  great  underground  sky-scraper, 
where  crowds  swarmed  up  from  delving  stories,  the 
same  joyful  reverence  filled  him.  It  was  all  so  im 
mense,  on  a  scale  so  much  bigger  than  any  human  con 
sideration.  It  was  like  a  great  purposeful  tempest 
washing  away  little  uglinesses. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  This  is  America !  "  he  said  to  himself,  at  the  sight 
of  world-crowds  that  rushed  about  him.  The  elec 
tricity  of  the  moment,  the  swaying  toward  the  future, 
the  regeneration  of  the  old,  tired  strain,  with  the  joy 
of  great  horizons  held  him  in  its  grip.  A  throng  of 
emigrants  went  past,  from  southeastern  Europe,  hud 
dled  together,  gaping,  ticketed  for  the  West.  "  Out 
of  these  staring  oxen,"  he  thought,  "  a  master  of  men 
may  come.  By  George,  this  is  America !  " 

He  stood  a  moment,  a  long  moment,  breasting  the 
human  flood,  a  growing  light  in  his  eyes. 

"  Good  Lord,  what  does  my  private  grief  amount  to 
before  this?  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  I  've  married,  not 
as  I  thought  I  did,  as  a  free  agent,  but  because  nature, 
I  suppose,  sent  me  blindly  out  to  seek  a  mate !  Whether 
I  'm  happy  or  unhappy,  what  does  it  matter  ?  This 
is  what  counts.  Big  days  —  and  it 's  good  to  live  in 
them.  This  is  my  life  —  my  man's  life — my  part  in 
the  fight!" 


VIII 

Tl  THEN  Andrew  Forrester  reached  his  rented 
V  V  home,  it  was  late  afternoon.  The  sidewalk  was 
crowded  with  supplies  arriving  from  the  caterers  — 
cases  of  wine,  tins  of  ices ;  box-trees  and  potted  plants, 
wreaths  of  greens  from  the  florist's;  carpenters  were 
carrying  in  scaffolding;  others  were  erecting  the  awn 
ing,  rolling  down  the  carpet.  When  he  picked  his  way 
up  the  steps  through  this  straggling  confusion,  a 
heavy-set  man  in  dark  clothes  barred  the  door  to  him. 

"  What  business,  please  ?  " 

"  Just  the  husband,"  he  said,  with  a  snap  of  his  jaw. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir.  I  'm  from  the  agency. 
We  have  to  be  careful  who  comes  in,"  said  the  detec 
tive,  who  continued,  however,  to  watch  him  doubt 
fully. 

"  I  see  —  and  it 's  up  to  me  to  prove  my  identity," 
said  Forrester,  so  brusquely  that  the  detective  retreated 
a  step.  "  Well,  there  is  a  certain  element  of  humor  in 
the  situation." 

"  I  'm  only  doing  my  duty,  sir." 

At  this  moment,  Laracy,  hatless  and  coatless,  pilot 
ing  a  barricade  of  palms  which  moved  like  Birnam 
Wood,  perceived  him  and  came  up  puffing. 

''  Won't  shake  hands,  Mr.  Forrester ;  I  'm  covered 
with  grime.  Lord,  I  don't  know  how  we  're  ever  go 
ing  to  be  ready,  but  it 's  going  to  be  a  smasher !  " 

"  Kindly  recognize  me  as  the  master  of  the  house  to 
this  model  watchdog,"  said  Forrester  grimly. 


192  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"What!  Oh,  I  say,  that's  a  good  one!"  said 
Laracy,  bursting  into  laughter.  "  It 's  all  right,  Jim," 
he  added,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand,  which  satisfied  the 
detective.  "  Excuse  me,  won't  you  ?  I  'm  overseeing 
the  decorations." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  service,"  said  Forrester,  with 
an  irony  which  was  lost. 

He  entered  the  antechamber  and  thrust  his  way  up 
through  the  bedlam  to  the  salons  and  the  ballroom, 
which  swarmed  with  decorators  and  carpenters,  track 
ing  and  purposeful  stage-ants,  under  whose  industry 
the  scene  was  growing  from  chaos.  Half  a  dozen 
young  fellows  whose  names  he  did  not  know,  comman 
deered  by  his  wife,  were  rushing  in  and  out  under  the 
direction  of  Steingall,  the  artist,  a  short,  electric  man 
of  enthusiastic  rages,  who  was  everywhere,  drumming 
up  laggards,  rearranging,  and  directing.  And  the  first 
person  he  saw,  nonchalant,  at  home,  thoroughly  self- 
possessed,  was  Tody  Dawson.  The  young  fellow  per 
ceived  him,  wheeled,  and  came  up  with  an  appearance 
of  casualness. 

"  How  do,  Mr.  Forrester  ?  It 's  going  to  be  mar 
velous.  Be  back  in  a  minute.  I  've  got  to  telephone 
for  more  box-trees." 

Forrester  bowed  without  shaking  hands.  His  jaw 
shut  with  a  snap.  The  answer  had  come.  He,  the 
husband,  was  to  be  sacrificed.  It  struck  him  as  sub 
limely  ludicrous  that  he,  Forrester,  should  be  beaten 
thus  by  a  youngster  who  was  n't  worth  a  clerk's  salary. 

"  For  she  's  beaten  me,"  he  said  grimly.  "  I  am  the 
intruder." 

Steingall,  who  was  an  enraged  purist,  stopped  a  mo 
ment  in  his  breathless  turning  to  explain.  Everything 
would  be  Louis  XIV.,  even  to  the  paintings  on  the 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  193 

walls  which  he  had  rented  from  the  Caxton  Galleries, 
and  the  ornaments  and  appliques  from  Bootheby's. 
The  ballroom  was  to  be  transformed  into  an  orange 
garden ;  the  open  windows  and  doors  were  to  be  boxed 
in  and  lighted  by  invisible  electric  lights,  to  give  the 
impression  of  moonlight  vistas;  a  great  star-strewn 
canopy  was  to  be  let  down  from  the  ceiling  to  repre 
sent  the  firmament,  while  colored  lanterns  would 
twinkle  among  the  branches. 

"  Very  fine  —  very  clever,"  said  Forrester,  nodding, 
without  visualizing  anything  in  the  confusion. 

He  wandered  into  the  dining-room,  which  was  be 
ing  transformed  into  a  tent  to  represent  a  fair  in  the 
days  of  the  Grand  Monarque.  In  one  corner,  Pardee 
was  passing  on  the  liveries  to  be  used.  Steingall 
flashed  in  to  approve  of  two  little  pickaninnies  decked 
out  in  turbans  and  glittering  red-and-gold  costumes, 
who  were  to  circulate  with  trays  of  bonbons. 

"  Mr.  Steingall  —  Mr.  Steingall  —  here  are  the  elec 
tricians  !  " 

The  impresario  disappeared.  A  little  woman, 
smartly  tailored,  whose  presence  was  unaccountable 
until  he  perceived  she  carried  a  notebook  and  pencil, 
approached  Forrester,  mistaking  him  for  a  confrere. 

"  Have  you  got  the  supplementary  list  of  names  ?  " 

"  Eh  —  what  ?    No  —  not  yet,"  he  said,  startled. 

"  I  wish  we  could  get  some  hint  of  the  costumes. 
It 's  a  corking  story."  And,  with  the  instinct  of  the 
newspaper  to  make  all  things  comprehensible  in  dol 
lars,  she  added  anxiously,  "  What  do  you  imagine  it  '11 
cost  the  old  man  ?  " 

The  "  old  man  "  referred  to  him. 

"  That 's  just  what  I  was  trying  to  figure  out,"'  he 
said,  with  a  grim  smile. 


i94  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Well,  I  'm  going  to  put  down  '  One  Hundred 
Thousand  Dollar  Fete/  "  she  said  excitedly.  "  When 
you  work  out  what 's  going  to  be  paid  out  in  costumes 
and  jewels,  it  represents  about  that.  It 's  quite  the 
most  expensive  event  of  the  season." 

"  So  I  judge." 

"  Guess  old  Forrester  can  stand  it,  though.  They 
say  he  cleaned  up  a  million  on  that  last  break  in 
Mexico." 

"  That  Js  interesting." 

At  this  moment,  a  businesslike  young  man  with 
derby  pushed  back  on  his  head,  in  spats  and  glaring 
waistcoat,  smoking  a  cigar,  whispered  to  Pardee  and 
came  over. 

"  Mr.  Forrester,  would  it  be  possible  for  us  to  get  a 
view  of  Mrs.  Forrester's  costume  ?  We  'd  like  to  have 
it  for  the  morning  paper."  Out  of  deference,  he  re 
moved  his  hat  and  sheltered  the  cigar  behind  his  back. 

The  dapper  little  lady  gave  a  gasp  of  amazement  but 
recovered  quickly. 

"  Mr.  Forrester !  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon  —  I  did  n't 
realize!" 

"  No  harm  done  —  it 's  good  to  hear  about  our 
selves  occasionally,"  he  said,  smiling. 

"  There  are  a  lot  of  details  you  can  give  us  now," 
said  the  young  man,  breaking  in  professionally. 

"  I  'm  afraid  not.  Mr.  Steingall,  Mr.  Laracy  will 
help  you  out,"  he  said  wearily.  "  I  'm  just  out  of 
the  train.  I  know  nothing  yet  —  absolutely  nothing. 
You  '11  excuse  me." 

He  moved  away,  dodged  a  couple  of  workmen 
bringing  in  a  great  screen,  bumped  into  and  apologized 
to  an  electrician  in  shirt  sleeves,  grimy  and  smoky  — 
the  democrat  unabashed  in  the  palace  of  the  rich  — 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  195 

and  avoiding  the  leader  of  the  orchestra,  who  was 
clamoring  to  Laracy  for  more  room,  went  up  the  great 
marble  staircase. 

"Who  am  I  in  all  this?"  he  thought  ironically. 

"  Mr.  Steingall  —  where  is  Mr.  Steingall  ?  Send 
Mr.  Steingall  up  at  once  —  madame  is  ready." 

He  looked  up  and  recognized  Morley  hanging  over 
the  stone  balustrade. 

"You  can  announce  me,  too  —  if  it's  convenient," 
he  said  sharply. 

Morley  gave  a  cry  of  surprise. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Forrester,  we  've  been  telephoning  to  the 
station  —  every  one  '9  waiting  for  you  to  try  your  cos 
tume  on,  sir." 

Steingall  went  past  him,  two  steps  at  a  time,  with 
out  seeing  him.  He  went  up  more  slowly,  a  prey  to  his 
own  reflections.  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  warned  by  Morley, 
came  out  to  meet  him  on  the  landing,  giving  him  both 
her  hands  in  friendly  enthusiasm. 

"  Andrew,  wait  till  you  see  Amy !  She  's  perfectly 
ravishing!  " 

"  It  seems  like  a  madhouse,"  he  said,  unbending  a 
little.  He  liked  Irma.  She  understood  him,  he  felt. 
Often  he  had  thought  of  going  to  her  in  his  perplex 
ities.  She  was  different  from  other  women. 

Mrs.  Dellabarre  drew  her  arm  through  his  in  the 
camaraderie  which  had  been  established  between  them 
and  brought  him  thus  into  the  morning  room  where, 
in  a  circle  of  dressmakers  who  were  turning  about  her 
on  their  knees,  he  beheld  his  wife. 

"  Here  he  is  at  last !  "  said  Irma  triumphantly. 

Amy  looked  up  with  a  touch  of  confusion,  not  dis 
pleased  to  have  this  first  meeting  with  her  husband  un 
der  the  protection  of  other  eyes. 


196  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Andrew,  dear,  we  Ve  been  frantic  about  you/'  she 
cried  hastily.  '  Your  costume  is  waiting  for  you." 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  quick  glance,  ready  to  bury 
-all  resentment,  but  repulsed  immediately  by  the  irony 
she  saw  lurking  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  go  through  with  it,"  he  thought, 
wondering  if  she  would  compel  him  to  kiss  her  for  the 
comedy  to  be  played  before  others.  "  What  am  I  ?  " 

:(  You  ?  You  are  Louis  XIV,  of  course !  "  cried 
Irma.  "  Wait  till  you  see  yourself." 

The  little  seamstress  rose  from  the  ground,  inten 
tionally  releasing  Amy.  There  was  no  escape.  She 
stepped  forward,  offering  her  cheek. 

"  I  'm  a  mass  of  pins  still  —  I  don't  dare  move." 

"  I  understand,"  he  said,  and  kissed  her. 

Steingall,  who  was  surveying  the  costume  with  his 
head  on  one  side,  indicated  a  better  draping  over  the 
shoulder. 

"Of  course,  you  can't  judge  of  the  effect  until  my 
hair  is  curled  and  powdered." 

"  It  is  very  beautiful,"  he  said  quietly.  He  felt  the 
falsity  of  his  position.  He,  too,  was  masquerading. 
"  I  '11  go  now,  I  think,  and  try  on  my  costume." 

"  Do  you  mind  dining  at  the  club,"  she  cried,  as  he 
went  toward  the  door.  "  And  be  here  —  " 

"  Certainly  —  but  I  shall  see  you  before  I  go,"  he 
said. 

Irma  Dellabarre  followed  him  out  to  the  hall. 

"  Andrew !  "  He  looked  at  her,  and  saw  her  eyes 
set  seriously  on  his.  "  Andrew,  whatever  you  do, 
don't  discuss  anything  —  well,  serious  —  with  her  to 
night.  It 's  her  night,  her  great  night.  Don't  spoil 
it.  Be  careful." 

"  She  has  been  talking  to  you,  then?  "  he  said,  look- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  197 

ing  away  from  her  and  over  the  balustrade  at  the  stir 
and  conflict  below. 

"  Yes."  She  added,  after  a  moment,  "  She  is  very 
unhappy." 

When  he  reached  his  room,  he  burst  out  laughing. 

Half  an  hour  later,  he  heard  his  wife  come  into  the 
bedroom  and  went  in. 

"  How  's  the  costume  ?  "  she  said  hastily.  He  no 
ticed  in  her  eyes,  as  they  passed  from  his,  a  touch  of 
alarm. 

"  The  costume  is  all  right." 

Morley,  at  this  moment,  went  out  on  an  errand  be 
fore  she  could  think  to  retain  her.  They  were  left 
alone. 

He  waited,  and  she  waited  for  the  word  of  explana 
tion  that  ought  to  come.  When  the  moment  had 
passed,  he  said  deliberately : 

"  You  have  nothing  to  say  to  me,  after  I  have  come 
a  few  thousand  miles  ?  " 

"  I  wonder  why  you  came/'  she  said,  with  a  rebel 
lious  flash.  His  anger  always  awoke  in  her  the  in 
stinct  to  struggle  against  his  masterfulness. 

'  You  wish  to  know  ?  I  '11  tell  you.  I  've  come  so 
that  nothing  should  be  said  against  you,  as  there  cer 
tainly  would  have  been  if  you  'd  given  this  fete  and  I 
had  been  away." 

"  And  your  name?  " 

"  I  have  the  greatest  pride  in  my  good  name  —  yes." 

"  His  dignity  —  he's  always  thinking  of  that!  It 
is  n't  because  he  's  jealous  of  me  —  I  could  understand 
that.  It 's  just  his  vanity,"  she  said  to  herself,  though, 
in  a  calmer  mood,  she  would  have  recognized  the  in 
justice  of  this. 


198  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

A  knock,  and  Morley  appeared.  The  jeweler  wished 
to  know  at  what  hour  Madame  would  wish  the  neck 
lace  brought. 

lt  Ten  o'clock  will  be  time  enough,"  she  said,  a  lit 
tle  confused.  She  explained  hurriedly :  "  Case  &  Fon- 
tenelle  are  lending  me  a  wonderful  necklace  to  go  with 
my  costume." 

"Lending?" 

"  Oh,  for  almost  nothing.  It  '11  be  a  great  advertise 
ment  for  them." 

"  I  see.  May  I  ask  you  to  wait  a  moment  ?  "  he  said, 
as  she  started  to  ring  for  Morley.  "  I  have  come  quite 
a  distance,  and  I  am  leaving  early.  May  I  have  half 
an  hour's  talk  with  you  —  uninterrupted?  " 

"  Now?  "  she  cried,  in  dismay  at  the  storm  she  felt 
powerless  to  avoid.  "Now?  Don't  you  realize  I  have 
a  hundred  things  to  attend  to  ?  " 

"  You  are  developing  quite  an  executive  ability," 
he  said,  exasperated  by  her  attitude  of  evasion. 

She  understood  the  allusion,  and  a  flash  of  anger 
showed  in  her  face.  Luckily,  one  thought  dominated 
her :  To-night  she  must  be  at  her  best.  If  she  cried, 
her  eyes  would  show  it.  At  this  moment  a  box  ar 
rived  with  the  wig  from  the  coiffeur's. 

''  You  see !  "  she  said  reproachfully. 

"  I  can  wait,"  he  said,  going  to  a  chair  and  sitting 
down. 

Pignatelli,  a  stoop-shouldered  little  man,  came  in 
with  profuse  salutation.  The  trying  of  the  wig  con 
sumed  half  an  hour.  She  was  so  delighted  with  the 
effect  that  she  gave  a  cry  of  delight. 

"Exquisite!" 

She  felt  herself  so  transformed,  so  radiant,  that  he, 
her  husband,  could  not  resist  her;  in  his  pride  at  per- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  199 

ceiving  how  beautiful  she  would  be,  his  irritation  must 
soften.  But  when  she  turned  to  him,  there  was  the 
same  obstinate  reserve  in  his  eyes  which  she  could  not 
comprehend.  No;  it  was  not  human  to  act  as  he  did. 

Then,  once  more  they  were  alone. 

"  Andrew,  I  'm  in  no  mood  to  listen.  I  'm  all 
wrought  up,"  she  said  sharply. 

"  I  regret  it." 

"  What !  "  she  cried,  aghast.  "  You  wish  to  make  a 
scene  now  —  at  such  a  time  ?  " 

"  Excuse  me.  It  is  n't  I ;  it  is  you  who  have  made 
an  explanation  necessary.  I  left  the  decision  to  you. 
You  have  sacrificed  me  to  bring  that  young  Dawson 
into  the  house." 

"Dawson!      Dawson!"     she    exclaimed    irritably. 

"  Always  harping  on  that  idiotic  affair !     Besides,  he 

is  n't  here  alone.     He  's  here  with  half  a  dozen  others 

-  because  I  'm  at  my  wits'  end  —  because  every  one 

must  help  me." 

"  Good  heavens,  don't  reason  like  a  child ! "  he 
burst  out  in  turn.  "  Face  the  situation ;  understand  the 
gravity !  Be  at  least  a  woman !  " 

She  turned,  feeling  escape  impossible. 

"Well?" 

"  I  have  left  the  solution  to  your  sense  of  delicacy, 
of  loyalty,  to  decide ;  and  you  have  done  so." 

"  I  have  decided,"  she  said  definitely. 

"What?" 

"  That  I  will  not  be  bullied  by  you  into  doing  unrea 
sonable  things." 

"  '  Unreasonable  ' !   You  regard  my  request  as  that  ?" 

"  Exactly." 

"  In  other  words,  you  intend  to  go  your  own  way, 
regardless  of  my  wishes,"  he  said,  in  his  deliberate, 


200  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

businesslike  manner,  which  had  the  power  of  doing 
away  with  all  her  better  feelings  and  arousing  a  blind 
revolt. 

"  That  depends  entirely  on  you.'1 

:<  Your  attitude  does  not  surprise  me,"  he  continued 
slowly.  "  After  all,  Dawson  is  just  an  incident.  How 
many  others  there  are,  I  don't  know,"  he  said,  with  a 
shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "  The  crisis  has  been  coming 
on  for  months.  The  trouble  is  that  you  are  not  inter 
ested  in  my  life.  You  do  not  care  in  the  least  for  my 
problems.  I  asked  you  to  be  careful  of  expenses  — 
and  this  fete  is  the  answer." 

"  Now  that  is  how  unjust  you  can  be !  "  she  said,  two 
red  spots  standing  out  in  her  cheeks.  "  Who  wished 
me  to  give  it,  who  suggested  it  five  months  ago?  " 

"  Then  I  was  n't  worried." 

"  But  I  could  n't  give  it  up  after  it  was  announced !  " 

"  My  dear  Amy,  you  could  do  anything  you  wanted 
to  —  but  you  did  n't  want  to.  The  trouble  is,  you  don't 
love  me." 

"  No;  that  is  not  the  trouble,"  she  cried  angrily,  for 
even  at  this  moment  she  recoiled  before  pronouncing 
this  tragic  finality.  "  The  trouble  is  that  you  are  heart 
less  and  brutal,  that  you  wish  to  order  me  about  as  you 
do  one  of  your  own  clerks,  that  you  have  n't  any  pity 
on  me  —  that  you  are  thoroughly  selfish." 

"  I,  selfish !  "  he  said  with  a  laugh,  that  came  back  to 
him  with  its  ugly  echo.  "  That  is  too  much.  The 
truth  is  we  've  reached  a  point  most  marriages  arrive 
at.  We  are  utterly  apart  and  out  of  sympathy  with  each 
other.  We  don't  look  at  things  in  the  same  way." 

"It  is  your  fault!"  she  cried  desperately. 

"  We  won't  discuss  whose  fault  it  is.  The  question 
is,  what 's  to  be  done  ?  *' 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  201 

"  '  Done  '  ?  "  she  cried,  opening  her  eyes.  "  Are  you 
actually  going  to  threaten  me  —  now  —  at  this  mo 
ment  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  threatening  anything.  I  am  convinced 
that  you  are  at  the  present  moment  simply  carried 
away  by  flattery  and  adulation.  I  don't  believe  for  a 
moment  that  there  is  anything  serious.  If  I  did  —  " 
He  stopped,  frowned  at  the  leap  of  his  pulses,  passed 
his  hand  wearily  over  his  forehead,  and  said,  "  But  we 
have  not  come  to  that  yet.  At  present  I  intend  to  pro 
tect  myself/' 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  wreck  my  life  because  you  re 
fuse  to  understand.  In  other  words,  in  order  to  avoid 
bankruptcy  "  —  he  repeated  the  word  —  "  bankruptcy 
—  I  shall  put  you  on  an  allowance  and  insist  that  you 
keep  to  it.  For  the  next  year  or  so  we  will  materially 
change  our  scale  of  living." 

Her  nerves,  long  taut,  snapped  at  the  vision  of  the 
future,  which  seemed  the  end  of  her  ambitions.  She 
burst  into  tears. 

"  You  come  in  to  spoil  everything.  You  make  me 
hate  everything.  You  Ve  spoiled  it  all  now  —  all ! 
And  I  was  so  happy !  " 

"  Happy !  Good  God !  "  he  thought.  "  When  my 
heart  is  breaking !  Who  can  talk  to  her  —  who  can 
make  her  understand  ?  " 

He  threw  up  his  hands  in  the  air  in  token  of  defeat 
and  went  out  of  the  house. 


IX 

T?ORRESTER  came  back  at  eleven  and  went  to  a 
F  bedroom  on  the  fourth  floor,  where  a  dresser  was 
waiting  for  him  with  his  costume.  A  dozen  times  during 
the  evening  he  had  said  to  himself  rebelliously  that  he 
would  not  return,  that  he  would  send  for  his  valise  and 
catch  the  midnight  express,  pretending  a  sudden  busi 
ness  summons.  For,  undisciplined  in  the  social  arts  of 
concealment,  he  looked  forward  to  the  evening  as  one 
of  exquisite  torture.  In  the  end,  he  comprehended  that 
this  liberty  of  action  no  longer  existed,  that  no  matter 
what  the  suffering,  the  rigid  gods  of  etiquette  must  be 
served.  He  dressed,  and  as  his  body  was  well  formed 
and  his  legs  gracefully  turned,  he  made  a  striking  fig 
ure.  Yet  he  was  ill  at  ease.  He  felt  ridiculously  un 
dressed.  This  was  his  first  masquerade,  and  the  com 
pliments  of  the  dresser  only  aroused  his  suspicions. 

"  Trying  to  work  me  for  a  tip,  of  course,"  he 
thought,  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulder.  "Well,  now 
for  it!" 

He  went  down  to  the  second  floor.  Already  the  gal 
lery  that  opened  on  the  great  stairway  was  alive  with 
guests,  a  black  arriving  stream  streaking  through  the 
brilliant  throng  which  descended  from  the  dressing 
rooms.  He  joined  it,  and  it  was  not  until  he  had 
crossed  the  first  salon  that  an  acquaintance  recognized 
and  spoke  to  him.  In  the  further  salon,  at  the  foot 
of  the  great  carved-stone  fireplace  —  loot  of  impover 
ished  Italy  —  Amy  was  standing.  At  first  glance  he 
cried  involuntarily, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  203 

"  Good  God,  how  beautiful  she  can  be !  " 

Her  dress  was  a  bewildering  swirl  of  royal  blue  bro 
cade,  glowing  as  the  first  break  of  brilliant  azure 
through  a  clearing  storm  —  a  subtle,  winding  pro 
fusion  which  wrapped  her  delicate  body  about  so  airily 
that  she  seemed,  by  some  deft  improvisation,  to  have 
been  entangled  in  the  flowing  draperies  as  a  fragile 
butterfly  is  caught  in  a  silken  net.  The  curled  and 
powdered  hair,  piling  up  in  a  white  cloud,  turned  in 
dainty  ringlets  about  her  clear  temples  and,  winding 
down  the  slender  neck,  slipped  across  one  bared  shoul 
der,  meeting  a  jeweled  vine  of  starry  eglantine  which 
climbed  up  to  the  perfumed  lattice  of  her  tresses  and 
hid  itself  in  the  mysteries  of  her  head-dress.  The 
daintily  turned  arms  and  wrists  came  whitely  out  from 
the  dark-blue  shadows  of  luxuriant  folds,  while  her 
sensitive  nose,  her  gay  lips,  her  lively  eyes  under  the 
quaint  and  pointed  eyebrows,  gave  to  the  dainty  oval  a 
fragile  aristocracy.  All  —  poise,  gesture,  veiled  glance 
and  scented  smile  —  held  the  incomparable  seduction 
that  once  was  Woman. 

He  crossed  gravely  to  take  his  place  by  her  side. 
Some  one  caught  him  by  the  arm.  It  was  Steingall, 
picturesque  in  the  costume  of  Largilliere  —  Steingall, 
triumphant  in  the  success  of  his  hostess,  which  was  his 
success. 

"  Wonderful,  eh,  Mr.  Forrester  ?  "  he  cried,  with 
glowing  eyes. 

"Wonderful!" 

"  She  must  be'  painted  like  that,"  said  the  artist,  with 
his  head  on  one  side.  "  By  Jove,  what  blues !  " 

"  Of  course,"  he  answered  laconically,  and  continued 
on  his  way  through  the  buzz  of  whispered  praises  that 
surrounded  his  wife. 


204  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

Amy  had  grown  restless  at  his  delay,  but  this  fur 
tive  anxiety  only  added  liveliness  to  her  expression. 
For  the  Andrew  Forrester  who  had  now  emerged  was 
incomprehensible  to  her.  She  resisted  him ;  she  sought 
to  conciliate  him,  while  she  watched  him  with  a  grow 
ing  apprehension.  The  moment  he  was  there,  she  for 
got  everything  but  the  intoxication  of  her  personal  tri 
umph.  She  put  out  her  hand  eagerly  and  drew  him  to 
her,  slipping  her  arm  through  his,  to  associate  him 
with  her  own  success  and  thus  to  reclaim  him. 

She  was  in  a  dangerous  mood.  Nothing  educates 
a  woman  so  much  as  the  first  touch  of  sorrow.  Be 
fore,  she  had  been  an  inconsequent  child,  distributing 
happiness  and  suffering  with  the  same  unconscious 
ness,  never  stopping  to  consider  the  result  of  an  im 
pulse,  never  comprehending  her  responsibilities  later. 
But  this  sense  of  being  protected  and  adored  was  now 
torn  from  her.  A  mental  transformation  had  come. 
She  stood  alone,  feeling  that  she  must  defend  her 
self,  fight  her  own  battles,  find  herself  her  final  se 
curity.  She  did  not  quite  see  what  she  should  do, 
but  she  knew  that  another  life,  complicated  and  un 
certain,  was  beginning.  And  as  the  obscurity  ahead 
frightened  her,  her  instinct  strove  to  return  to  old 
landmarks.  An  hour  before,  she  had  revolted  against 
her  husband  with  all  the  strength  of  her  nature.  The 
explanation  he  had  sought  had  ended  only  in  a  quarrel. 
But,  aghast  before  the  unknown,  she  felt  surprised 
herself  at  the  impulse  which  flung  her  back  to  him. 
She  wished  to  conquer  him,  to  dazzle  him  more  than 
any  one  else,  for  it  seemed  to  her  that  if  she  could  es 
tablish  the  supremacy  of  her  charm  and  beauty  over 
him,  that  all  might  yet  be  repaired. 

"  Andrew  —  why,  you  are  superb !  "  she  whispered 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  205 

to  him  in  a  moment  of  freedom,  and  her  hands  pressed 
his  with  a  quick,  impulsive  pressure.  "  I  am  very, 
very  proud." 

:'  You  are  very  beautiful,"  he  said  carefully  but 
without  enthusiasm,  for  he  said  to  himself,  "  She  is 
afraid  —  it  is  only  fear  of  the  future  which  brings  her 
to  me." 

In  this  he  was  wrong.  Amy  had  not  for  one  mo 
ment  taken  seriously  his  talk  of  economy.  She  saw  in 
it  only  a  whip  to  brandish  over  her,  the  sort  of  threats 
husbands  always  make  in  their  anger. 

She  looked  at  him  expectantly.  If  there  were  a 
flash  of  something  in  his  eyes  —  an  answering  pres 
sure  of  his  hand !  Then  she  turned  away  with  a  grip 
ping  of  her  heart.  Little  incidents  often  determine  the 
tragedies  of  life.  He  had  refused  to  yield  a  jot  in 
this,  the  supreme  hour  of  her  youth  and  beauty!  This 
was  her  last  hope.  She  could  never  again  bend  him  to 
her. 

"  What !  Other  men  find  me  charming ;  other  men 
look  with  eyes  of  envy,  and  I  can't  stir  him  —  he  alone 
does  n't  appreciate  me,"  she  said  to  herself  bitterly, 
and,  as  she  suffered  acutely,  she  flung  herself  gaily 
into  the  light  spirit  of  the  evening,  with  a  theatrical, 
dangerous  excitement. 

As  she  wandered  through  the  rooms  of  the  lower 
floor,  which  had  been  skilfully  converted  into  arbors 
of  trailing  vines  or  alleys  of  boxed  trees  with  illumi 
nated  fruit,  with  scores  of  sheltered  corners  for  secret 
tete-a-tetes,  all  at  once,  among  the  later  arrivals,  she 
perceived  Monte  Bracken.  He  was  in  an  elaborate 
plum-colored  costume  of  a  prince  of  the  royal  blood, 
the  black  curls  built  high  over  the  temples  and  spilling 


206  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

over  the  shoulders,  flashes  of  delicate  lace  at  the  wrists, 
multi-colored  ribbons,  golden  embroideries  on  the  vest, 
and  a  frill  of  the  choicest  cambric  at  the  throat,  below 
which  sparkled  the  orders  of  the  Toison  d'Or  and  the 
Saint  Esprit. 

He  bowed  with  exaggerated  deference,  kissing  the 
end  of  her  fingers  easily  and  naturally.  Her  hand 
rested  on  his  a  moment  forgotten,  as  she  looked  at 
him,  seized  with  a  sudden,  surprised  admiration,  agree 
ably  drawn  to  his  handsome,  dark  figure.  Of  all  the 
men  she  had  met,  she  was  the  most  anxious  for  his 
good  opinion.  Their  eyes  met,  and  she  felt  a  quick, 
excited  flutter  as  she  saw  the  start  of  surprise  that  came 
into  his  as  he  continued  to  look  at  her.  The  moment 
was  not  long,  but  both  were  conscious  of  a  sudden  em 
barrassment  that  was  half  delight,  half  unease. 

She  waited  eagerly  for  his  compliment,  but,  for  the 
first  time,  she  saw  him  a  prey  to  a  certain  awkward 
ness. 

"  Very  glad  to  see  you,  Mrs.  Forrester !  I  have 
been  trying  to  find  you,"  he  said  hastily,  without  tak 
ing  his  eyes  from  her. 

She  felt  the  same  diffidence.  She  perceived  that  her 
hand  was  still  in  his,  and  withdrew  it  hastily. 

"  And  your  brother  and  his  wife?  " 

"  They  are  here.    They've  been  trying  to  find  you." 

New  arrivals  broke  in,  forcing  her  attention.  When 
she  turned  impatiently,  expecting  to  find  him  at  her 
side,  he  was  gone.  The  memory  of  the  light  that  had 
leaped  into  his  eyes  when  he  had  discovered  her  loveli 
ness  seemed  to  give  wings  to  her  step.  All  her  fore 
bodings  were  forgotten;  a  delicious  feeling  of  light- 
heartedness  swept  her  up.  She  sought  him  in  the 
crowd,  and  was  aware  that  his  glance  continued  to 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  207 

follow  her,  but  he  did  not  approach  her  again.  She 
waited  with  a  tinge  of  disappointment  for  the  spoken 
tribute  which  she  coveted,  longing  for  it  to  give  com 
pleteness  to  her  happiness. 

But  if  Bracken  still  remained  obstinately  aloof, 
other  men  came  up  eagerly  —  men  who  had  been  more 
or  less  devoted  to  her,  and,  under  the  license  of  the 
evening,  whispered  their  declarations  to  her.  As  for 
Tody  Dawson,  he  was  crushed  at  her  transformation, 
hovering  on  the  outskirts,  watching  her  with  timid  ad 
oration,  as  though  suddenly  conscious  of  his  temerity 
in  approaching  anything  so  precious.  So  completely 
eliminated  was  he,  so  utterly  elbowed  from  her  pres 
ence,  that  she  felt  a  new  irritation  at  Andrew's  ob 
stinacy  in  taking  his  boyish  sentimentality  seriously. 

"  How  absurd !  "  she  said  to  herself  lightly.  "  As 
though  a  boy  like  that  could  mean  anything  to  me! 
He  's  useful,  that 's  all." 

A  slight  anxiety  still  remained  in  her  mind  until 
Gladys  Challoner  arrived.  At  the  first  glimpse  of  her 
dearest  rival  she  smiled  a  contented  little  smile. 
Gladys  was  a  striking  figure  in  brilliant  green  —  a 
color  few  blondes  would  have  dared  —  but  she  re 
mained,  despite  every  artifice,  modern  to  her  finger 
tips.  Startling  and  imposing  she  was,  but  the  fragile 
charm  of  perfumed  days  which  hovered  about  the 
younger  rival  quite  escaped  her. 

Claire  Bracken  caught  her  by  the  arm,  smiling  and 
serene  as  usual. 

"  You  exquisite  creature,  you  quite  eclipse  us  all !  " 
she  said,  in  genuine  admiration.  "  And,  with  you,  it 's 
real !  " 

Between  the  two,  opposite  as  they  were  in  every 
thing  that  goes  to  make  up  human  character,  there  had 


208  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

been,  from  the  first,  an  impulsive  attraction  which 
mystified  their  friends.  Their  intimacy  had  not  yet 
gone  further  than  a  few  formal  visits,  yet  each  had  the 
feeling  that  a  greater  friendship  was  waiting.  Amy 
slipped  her  hand  under  her  friend's  arm. 

"  I  'd  rather  have  you  think  so  than  any  one  else," 
she  said  warmly.  "  Do  you  know,  I  never  meet  you 
without  longing  to  really  know  you  ?  Why  don't  I  — 
is  it  New  York  ?  Please  invite  me  again." 

"  I  will  —  next  week-end." 

"  Accepted." 

"  Is  your  husband  here  ?    I  'd  like  to  see  him." 

Amy  nodded  gratefully.  Few  of  the  guests  ex 
pressed  any  interest  in  Andrew.  In  her  mind,  busily 
seeking  ways  and  means,  the  thought  came  to  her  that 
she  would  like  Mrs.  Bracken  to  become  a  good  friend 
to  Andrew  —  perhaps  she  could  bring  him  to  reason. 

Kitty  Lightbody  descended  on  them,  voluminous  and 
excited. 

"  What 's  this  I  hear,  Amy?  Good  Lord,  we  're  not 
going  to  dance  minuets  all  night?  " 

"Don't  worry,"  she  answered,  laughing;  "that's 
only  the  fireworks.  After  midnight  we  return  to  New 
York." 

"  Lordy,  I  wish  I  could  get  back  to  a  clinging  frock 
too !  "  said  Kitty,  in  a  confidential  whisper.  "  These 
balloon  jibs  make  me  look  like  a  whale.  You  need  n't 
shake  your  head  —  they  do !  " 

Captain  Barrisdale,  who  had  come  up  in  her  train, 
contrived  to  dodge  in  and  out  of  the  crowd  until  Kitty 
had  safely  departed. 

:f  Jove,  but  you  take  our  breath  away !  "  he  said,  in 
his  bantering  manner. 

"  Many  thanks,"  she  said,  bowing. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  209 

"  I  wish  your  husband  was  n't  so  healthy,"  he  said, 
looking  at  her  closely. 

"  And  why  ?  "  she  said  innocently. 

"  Oh,  you  understand  very  well  what  I  mean,"  he 
said  abruptly. 

"  It  sounds  like  an  ultra-modern  proposal,"  she  said, 
laughing. 

"  I  say,  you  can  guy  me  all  you  want,  but  look  here ; 
I  'm  not  the  first  one  along." 

"  Look  out,"  she  said,  raising  her  finger,  amusement 
still  in  her  eyes.  "  I  thought  I  gave  you  a  lesson  once, 
and  you  were  to  behave." 

"  What 's  wrong  in  saying  you  're  the  only  woman 
ever  got  me  —  really  got  me  —  so  that  I  'd  take  a  sec 
ond  shot  at  matrimony  —  " 

"  You  can  say  anything,  if  you  know  how  to  say  it 
—  but  you  don't." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but,  all  the  same  "  —  he  glanced 
about  and  lowered  his  voice  —  "  it  is  n't  going  to  make 
you  feel  any  worse  to  know  that  —  if  anything  ever 
happened,  well  —  one  way  or  the  other,  I  stand  back  of 
what  I  said." 

"  And  you  expect  me  to  believe  you?  " 

"  I  know  you  believe  me,"  he  said,  looking  at  her 
fixedly.  At  times,  the  captain  had  no  difficulty  in  mak 
ing  himself  understood. 

She  left  him  with  a  deeper  feeling  than  amusement. 
A  year  before,  she  would  have  been  indignant  at  the 
rudeness  of  this  declaration.  It  was  significant  of  her 
social  progress  that  now  it  rather  pleased  her.  Captain 
Barrisdale,  at  forty-five,  rich  into  eight  figures,  was 
considered  a  great  catch. 

"  Well,  there  is  one  would  marry  me  instantly,"  she 
thought  to  herself,  as  she  moved  somberly  away. 


210  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

It  gave  her  a  feeling  of  independence.  Not  that  she 
had  the  slightest  serious  contemplation  of  such  an 
eventuality,  but  that,  in  the  security  of  the  present,  it 
was  necessary  for  her  to  explore  the  future  and  mark 
it  with  certain  dependable  landmarks  —  one  or  two  — 
the  more  the  better.  She  made  a  tour  of  the  floor, 
seeking  her  husband,  and  perceived  him  on  the  bal 
cony,  talking  to  Irma.  She  was  not  altogether 
pleased  with  this.  She  had  given  a  measure  of  her 
confidence  to  Irma,  but  it  was  quite  another  thing  for 
Andrew  to  do  so.  She  did  not  altogether  trust  Irma. 
She  caught  the  expression  in  his  face,  and  it  was  to  her 
like  the  skeleton  at  the  feast. 

"  How  adamant  —  how  perfectly  relentless  he  can 
be !  "  she  thought.  "  Nothing  can  move  him.  He  will 
never  give  up  an  idea.  He  is  n't  human." 

What  she  could  not  understand  was  that  he  could 
remain  unmoved  at  the  spectacle  of  her  success. 

"  No;  he  ought  to  be  happy  to  have  such  a  wife  — 
a  wife  that  every  one  wants,"  she  said,  with  a  sudden 
lump  in  her  throat.  "  And  he  won't  say  a  word  to 
me  —  to  make  me  proud  —  just  because  —  because  I 
have  shown  that  I  have  spirit,  too." 

Midnight  rang.  Dawson  came  up.  It  was  time  for 
the  minuet. 


X 

MONTE  BRACKEN  could  do  more  things  better 
than  any  man  he  had  ever  met,  yet  in  every  en 
deavor  he  remained  of  the  second  rank.  All  games 
and  sports  came  to  him  easily.  He  played  the  piano 
with  a  genuine  talent  and  comprehended  music  passion 
ately  and  profoundly.  He  had  an  instinct  for  beauti 
ful  things  wherever  met.  His  taste  was  sure,  and 
distinguished  between  the  meretricious  and  the  stark 
simplicity  of  great  art.  He  had  written  occasional 
essays,  distinguished  for  charm,  humor,  and  an  Old- 
World  penetration  acquired  from  a  short  diplomatic 
experience  in  Paris  and  Vienna.  He  lacked  but  one 
thing  —  the  spur  of  necessity.  Until  thirty,  he  had 
cherished  the  hope  that  he  would  make  his  name  known 
in  diplomacy  or  in  letters.  But  as  the  years  glided  on 
in  their  easy  course,  a  feeling  of  disillusionment  re 
placed  the  glow  of  early  dreams.  He  became  a  brilliant 
flaneur,  a  sort  of  demi-hero,  and  he  consoled  himself  as 
all  such  dramatic  temperaments  do.  Love  to  him  was 
a  periodic  and  necessary  intoxication.  When  he  was 
in  love,  all  the  really  brilliant  qualities  of  his  mind 
awoke,  and  periodically,  in  that  narcotic  state  of 
dreams,  he  believed  that  he  was  on  the  verge  of  doing 
something  worthy  of  what  he  knew  he  possessed.  The 
need  of  love  made  him  believe  in  love.  He  had  had 
his  share  of  what  the  French  call  "  bonnes  fortunes." 
Yet  if  he  had  been  loved  often,  he  had  loved  genuinely 


212  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

if  without  discipline.  He  had  that  rare  quality  of  being 
lovable  —  a  quality  which  one  has  or  has  not,  which 
cannot  be  imitated  and  is  never  acquired.  He  attracted 
women  by  a  certain  element  of  weakness  they  divined 
in  his  nature,  that  appealed  to  them,  and  called  forth 
their  treasures  of  generosity  and  sacrifice.  Women 
loved  him  instinctively,  but  seldom  deeply,  and  left  him 
with  kindness  but  small  regret.  On  his  side,  the  shock 
was  acute;  he  experienced  a  profound  depression  for 
each  experience  irreparably  spent  of  the  fast  diminish 
ing  fabric  of  his  youth.  So  keen  was  this  revulsion 
that  he  had  come  to  dread  the  thought  of  any  new  en 
tanglement,  knowing  too  well  the  exquisite  finality  of 
pain.  When,  therefore,  quite  unprepared,  he  had  come 
face  to  face  with  Amy  Forrester  and  experienced  that 
quick  thrill  of  all  his  senses,  his  first  instinct  was  to 
retreat. 

"  If  I  see  her  —  if  I  talk  to  her  —  I  know  what 
will  happen,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  Better  to  avoid 
danger." 

But  if  he  avoided  her,  his  eyes  could  not  refrain 
from  seeking  her  charming  silhouette  in  the  play  of 
moving  colors.  He  tried  the  distraction  of  conversa 
tions  ;  he  fenced  with  Irma,  who  usually  amused  him, 
and  found  suddenly  that  what  he  was  saying  had  no 
meaning  to  him.  From  time  to  time  his  glance  met 
Amy's.  Her  eyes,  conscious  of  his  scrutiny,  sent  him 
in  turn  their  playful  questioning. 

"  Why  don't  you  tell  me  that  I  am  charming,  that  I 
please  you  ?  What  is  the  harm  in  that  ?  " 

And  then  she  began  to  dance  in  the  stately  measures 
of  the  minuet.  All  at  once  he  left  the  Challoners  and 
went  to  the  shadow  of  a  doorway,  standing  alone,  shel 
tering  himself  behind  a.n  orange  tree,  his  eyes  fixed  on 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  213 

the  little  figure  in  royal  blue  that  was  like  the  joy  of  the 
deep,  clear  sky  through  a  parting  storm. 

In  the  long  ballroom  the  lackeys  had  cleared  the 
floor.  The  guests,  against  the  walls  on  little  footstools 
or  camped  on  rugs,  framed  the  dancers  with  the  glow 
ing  tangle  of  many  colors.  Overhead,  a  black-blue 
canopy,  shot  with  a  thousand  little  holes,  let  through 
in  starry  radiance  jewel-rays  of  light  from  the  masked 
chandeliers  above.  The  windows  and  the  doors, 
framed  in  foliage,  gave  faint  vistas  of  lake  and  melting 
hills  lost  in  the  sylvan  night.  Illuminated  trees  in  the 
four  corners  of  the  cleared  floor  sent  golden  shafts  over 
the  polished  surface.  The  air,  rescued  from  the  elec 
tric  whiteness  of  the  modern  night,  floated  in  harmoni 
ous  and  gentle  flood.  From  the  orchestra  hidden  in 
the  balcony  came  the  awakened  surge  of  violins.  The 
dancers  courtesied,  took  places,  and  lifted  their  grace 
ful  arms.  In  the  costumed  throng,  the  murmur  of 
voices  was  hushed  as  each  guest,  under  the  spell  of 
rhythmic  beauty,  yielded  to  the  fairyland  of  unreality. 

At  the  first  measure,  Tody  Dawson,  troubled  by  this 
sudden  concentration  of  many  eyes,  had  a  moment  of 
stage  fright.  He  blundered,  missed  his  step,  and,  un 
able  to  recover  himself,  threw  the  figure  into  disorder. 

Another  moment,  and ,  the  confusion  would  have 
been  inextricable.  Amy  saw  it  and  calmly,  without 
embarrassment,  clapped  her  hands.  The  orchestra 
came  to  a  discordant  pause. 

"  My  fault,"  she  said  in  a  clear,  laughing  tone.  "  I 
ask  every  one's  pardon  —  but  such  an  audience  is  very, 
very  terrifying!  Every  one  ready?  Begin  again!  " 

She  felt  mistress  of  the  situation,  and  the  little 
amical  nod  she  sent  Dawson  restored  his  confidence  at 


2i4  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

once.  This  time  the  measure  moved  without  a  break, 
amid  a  buzzing  appreciation  of  her  tact  and  poise. 

The  moment  was  critical  in  her  life.  It  needs  only 
the  intoxication  of  one  waltz  to  change  the  destiny  of  a 
young  girl  —  how  much  more  so  such  a  triumph  be 
fore  a  hundred  rivals !  As  she  danced,  moving  in  sway 
ing  grace  and  poised  with  dainty  gesture,  hearing  the 
murmured  admiration  which  centered  on  her  own  love 
liness,  all  the  profound  corruption  in  which  she  had 
moved  —  corruption  of  Morley,  daily  and  insidious; 
corruption  of  the  young  fellows  in  her  train  who  had 
infected  her  imagination  with  the  craving  for  excite 
ment;  corruption  of  shops  and  the  argus-eyed  crowd; 
corruption  of  pleasant  places  and  brilliant  audiences  — 
all  the  multiple  corruption  of  New  York  which  had  been 
fastening  about  her,  as  a  vine  makes  its  capture,  all  this 
corruption  reached  its  apotheosis  in  the  ecstacy  of  this 
theatrical  moment.  This  was  her  woman's  career,  her 
right  to  youth !  If  Andrew  did  not  understand  this,  if 
Andrew  did  not  realize  what  he  had  carried  off  like 
another  Paris  —  then  Andrew  was  blind  indeed! 

She  danced,  her  head  thrown  back  and  a  little  to  one 
side,  smiling  with  half -closed  eyes  —  at  what?  At  the 
multiple  public  perhaps,  every  one  of  whom  she  wished 
to  draw  to  her,  to  dazzle,  to  coax,  and  to  entice.  Her 
own  sex  was  there,  her  dearest  rivals.  For  this  one 
night  she  could  face  them  and  defy  them  to  pick  a  flaw. 
Glowing,  serene,  and  awakened,  her  glance  ran  through 
the  brilliant  audience,  seeking  to  visualize  it.  All  at 
once,  from  beneath  her  eyelashes  she  found  the  eyes 
of  Monte  Bracken  set  on  her.  From  that  moment  she 
danced  to  him.  The  complex  public  was  comprehen 
sible  now  in  the  smile  on  his  lips  and  the  glance  which 
never  left  her. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  215 

The  minuet  over,  she  was  caught  in  the  crush  of  those 
who  stormed  about  her  with  exclamatory  compliments. 
She  knew  that  he  would  not  approach  her  in  this  public 
struggle.  She  waited  the  moment  when  he  would  seek 
her,  a  little  restless  at  the  insistent  admirers  who  clung 
to  her.  The  general  dancing  had  begun.  Escaping  the 
crowd,  she  passed  into  the  dining  room  with  its  red- 
and-gold  tent.  He  was  not  there  or  in  the  outer  hall. 

She  came  restlessly  through  the  corridors.  Why 
did  he  avoid  her?  Why  should  he  alone  deprive  her 
of  the  one  compliment  she  longed  to  hear? 

"Mr.  Bracken!"  He  had  seen  her  coming  and 
started  to  turn  away.  "  Do  you  know  that  you  are  the 
only  one  who  has  n't  said  something  nice  to  me?  "  she 
said  impatiently.  "Are  you  running  away  from  me  ?  " 

He  bowed. 

"  Perhaps." 

"  Then  you  didn't  like  my  dancing?" 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Forrester,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice, 
"  you  must  understand  what  I  mean  when  I  say  that  I 
was  running  awTay." 

This  was  the  tribute  she  needed  to  complete  her  hap 
piness.  She  felt  a  sudden  wave  of  joy.  He  was  afraid 
-  a  little  afraid  of  her. 

"  Please  don't  run  away,"  she  said,  smiling  happily, 
"  and  do  say  more  nice  things  to  me.  You  're  the  one 
person  who  really  knows." 

She  stood  before  him  on  tiptoe,  looking  up  at  him 
with  the  eyes  of  a  child  who  looks  out  in  surprise  on 
the  world,  and  her  glance  asked  so  plainly,  "  Am  I 
pretty ;  do  I  please  you  ?  "  that  his  caution  was  given 
to  the  winds  of  impulse. 

"  You  are  the  only  one  that  is  real  here,"  he  said 
suddenly.  "  All  the  rest  of  us  are  actors,  powdered 


216  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

and  painted  actors,  without  the  glamour  of  the  foot 
lights.  You  are  the  real  thing.  You  are  France,  the 
beautiful  days,  the  indolence  that  will  never  come 
again.  How  do  you  do  it  ?  How  does  it  come  so  natu 
rally  to  you  —  the  grace,  the  lightness,  the  exquisite- 
ness,  every  movement,  every  motion?  Even  now  as 
you  are  listening,  *  nymph  of  the  downcast  eye  and 
sidelong  glance,'  pleased  at  what  I  am  saying  to  you, 
you  are  so  much  more  charming  than  what  I  have  said, 
that  I  feel  as  though  I  had  told  you  nothing.  You  are 
so  transformed  that  I  don't  know  you  —  or  rather,  this 
is  so  truly  you,  what  you  were  meant  to  be,  that  I  can't 
imagine  you  any  other  way." 

She  colored,  and  drew  a  long,  delighted  breath. 

"  Oh !  I  feel  like  running  away  myself !  " 

"  Don't !  "  he  said  hurriedly,  and  his  hand  half  rose 
to  retain  her.  "  Let 's  play.  It 's  part  of  the  masque. 
We  have  our  parts,  too.  It 's  carnival  time !  To 
morrow  is  near  enough !  " 

"  I  don't  know  who  I  really  am,"  she  said,  with  an 
swering  excitement.  "  I  feel  —  well,  I  feel  so  irre 
sponsible,  as  though  what  I  did  or  said  was  some  one 
else.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  You  saw  me  watching  you?"  he  said,  looking  at 
her. 

She  nodded. 

"Of  course  I  did.  You  know,  I  could  n't  find  you 
at  first.  I  looked  for  you  in  the  gallery,  and  then  all 
at  once  I  saw  you  behind  a  tree.  I  wanted  you  to  like 
me."  She  stopped.  He  had  that  dangerous  quality  of 
making  women  seek  him,  that  led  them  unconsciously 
to  venture  further.  She  knew  that  she  was  on  danger 
ous  ground.  Yet  she  could  not  resist  the  intoxication 
of  enjoying  what  she  had  at  last  won  in  him.  Besides, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  217 

it  was  all  a  game,  a  part  of  the  masque,  as  he  himself 
had  said. 

"  You  have  arrived,"  he  said  quietly.  "  That  sounds 
impertinent,  but  it  is  n't  meant  so." 

"  You  remember  what  you  prophesied  ?  " 

"  But  I  was  mistaken  in  one  thing." 

"What?" 

"  You  have  come  to  be  what  I  foretold,  though  a 
hundred  times  more  bewitching  and  dazzling  than  I 
expected,  but  —  you  have  kept  your  heart  of  a  child." 

"  To-night  I  've  been  saying  just  the  contrary,"  she 
said  abruptly,  sobered. 

"  No,  no !  It  is  there,"  he  said  softly.  "  It  is 
still  unspoiled  —  and  that 's  what 's  dangerous  —  for 
others." 

"  You  are  awfully  nice,"  she  said,  smiling  at  him. 
"  Please  always  say  things  to  make  me  happy." 

She  said  this  quite  unconcernedly,  as  though  she  had 
received  the  most  trivial  compliment;  nor  was  he  able 
to  divine  whether  this  was  the  art  of  the  woman  re 
storing  the  barrier  between  them  or  the  unconscious 
soul  of  a  child  that  is  ignorant  of  the  desires  it  sows. 

"  And  now  I  must  remember  my  '  duties/  "  she  said, 
with  a  pout,  pronouncing  that  terrible  word  as  only  she 
knew  how.  "  Will  you  come  and  ask  me  to  dance 
later?" 

"  Often,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

The  mischief  was  done,  and  he  knew  it.  Had  it 
been  done  consciously  or  not?  Despite  his  varied 
knowledge  of  women,  he  felt  as  though  her  soft  little 
hands  had  closed  over  his  eyes  and  a  voice  murmured, 

"  If  you  follow  me,  follow  me  blindly." 


XI 

WITH  the  serving  of  the  supper  the  ball  had 
reached  its  height.  At  the  telephone,  a  reporter 
was  sending  in  the  last  details  before  the  closing  of 
the  presses.  Detectives  wandered  among  the  guests, 
watching  the  imported  servants.  In  a  corner  of  the 
struggling  dining  room  a  knot  of  reporters,  in  domi 
noes  provided  by  Steingall,  copiously  fed  under  the 
direction  of  the  head  caterer,  passed  the  mighty  in  re 
view,  detailing  anecdotes  from  their  secret  knowledge. 

"  Must  be  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  jewels  here." 

"  Nearer  two." 

"  Say,  Bill,  get  the  name  of  the  foreign  gink  who 
came  with  the  Gunthers?  What  is  he,  Portuguee  or 
Wop?" 

"  Mrs.  Reggie  's  gone  off  badly  this  season." 

"  Grub  's  all  right." 

"  Who  's  the  sporty  girl  in  red?  " 

"  Mrs.  Tontee,  divorced  Jack  Albright  last  winter 
—  remember  the  story  down  in  Palm  Beach?  " 

The  speaker,  a  short,  baldish,  old-young  man  left 
the  group  and  bore  down  on  the  lady  in  question. 

"  How  do,  Mrs.  Tontee  ?  Would  you  mind  giving 
me  some  details  about  the  costume  you  're  wearing 
to-night?" 

"  Oh,  do  you  really  want  to  write  something  about 
me?  "  she  said,  shaking  hands  cordially.  "  The  dress 
is  nice,  is  n't  it  ?  It 's  genuine,  too  —  worn  by  the  Com- 
tesse  de  Vrilly.  Came. down  in  my  husband's  family." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  219 

"  Which  husband  ?  "  asked  the  irrepressible  spirit 
of  the  American  press. 

"  Well  —  say  nothing  about  that,"  said  Mrs.  Tontee, 
much  amused.  She  wasted  no  pretenses  on  the  gentle 
men  of  the  fourth  estate,  knowing  them  of  old.  "  I 
don't  suppose  you  'd  want  photographs,  but  if  you  do, 
Sanderson  &  Sanderson  have  taken  some  beautiful 
ones." 

"  What 's  the  foreign  feller  with  the  Gunthers?  " 

Mrs.  Tontee  gave  the  required  information  sweetly, 
and  volunteered  several  bits  of  useful  details. 

"  Much  obliged,"  said  the  reporter.  "  Anything 
you  'd  like  mentioned  ?  " 

"  No-o.  I  'm  giving  a  rather  important  dinner.  Call 
me  up  next  week,  in  the  morning  —  there  might  be 
something." 

Irma  Dellabarre  passed  on  the  arm  of  Jap  Laracy, 
in  search  of  her  husband,  a  little  apprehensive. 

"  I  think  he  's  in  the  smoking  room." 

"  Go  and  see,  like  a  dear  boy." 

Laracy,  having  located  Rudolph,  returned. 

"  Is  he  enjoying  himself?  " 

"  He  's  all  right,"  said  Laracy,  who  comprehended 
the  question. 

"  Anyhow,"  thought  Irma,  glancing  round  the 
dining  room,  "  whatever  happens,  he  won't  be  con 
spicuous." 

"  Say,  Irma,  I  '11  keep  an  eye  on  him,"  said  Laracy. 
"  Leave  him  to  me ;  I  '11  get  him  home  at  the  right 
time." 

"  Thank  you,  Jap,"  said  Irma,  with  a  soft  glance. 
"  And  now  run  along  and  dance  with  some  pretty  girl." 

Monte  Bracken  and  Amy  passed  her,  entering  the 
ballroom,  so  engrossed  in  each  other  that  they  did  not 


220  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

perceive  her.  There  was  a  light  in  Bracken's  eyes  she 
knew  —  a  certain  way,  too,  of  holding  his  head  as 
though  bending  forward  in  accentuated  deference.  She 
knew  she  was  no  longer  in  love  with  him,  and  yet  the 
spectacle  of  his  awakening  interest  in  another  woman 
wounded  her,  bringing  back  disturbing  memories. 
That  this  woman  should  be  her  close  friend  was  par 
ticularly  hard  to  bear.  At  that  moment,  happening  to 
look  up  to  the  little  balcony,  she  saw  Andrew  Forrester 
gazing  down.  She  thought  a  moment  and  then  went 
up.  So  engrossed  was  he  in  his  own  mood  that  it  was 
not  until  she  touched  his  arm  that  he  noticed  her 
coming. 

"  This  is  nice  of  you,"  he  said  gratefully,  brighten 
ing  up. 

"  How  does  it  feel  to  be  the  husband  of  a  great 
beauty?" 

He  smiled  grimly.  A  moment  before,  looking  down 
on  the  fairy  panorama,  he  had  been  thinking  that,  in 
one  night,  he  had  thrown  into  the  air  what  it  had  cost 
him  to  live  two  years  as  a  bachelor. 

"  Wonderful  scene  —  exquisite  in  every  detail !  "  she 
said,  looking  down.  "  You  've  justified  your  motto." 

"What's  that?" 

"  Hang  the  expense !  " 

"  Oh  —  I  'd  forgotten !  "  he  said,  with  a  bitter  smile. 

"  Now,  as  Kitty  says,  they  '11  have  a  chance  to  feel 
natural,"  she  continued,  with  a  gesture  toward  the 
dancers,  who  were  swinging  into  the  lively  measures  of 
an  ultra-modern  dance,  imported  from  the  purlieus  of 
the  Barbary  Coast. 

The  evening,  which  had  begun  in  the  decorum  that 
had  descended  out  of  the  stately  past,  burst  into  the 
riot  of  modern  America. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  221 

"  Yes ;  now  they  are  more  natural,"  said  Irma,  smil 
ing.  "  We  are  not  so  far  removed  from  the  Zulus, 
after  all,  are  we?  And  listen  to  the  savagery  of  the 
music  we  dance  to,"  she  added,  as  at  that  moment  the 
orchestra  burst  into  a  jumble  of  explosive  chords,  ac 
companied  by  every  noise-provoking  device  of  sand- 
shufflers,  cowbells,  clashing  cymbals  and  drum-pound 
ing,  which,  at  that  time,  was  considered  the  harmony 
of  sweet  rhythms.  "  Could  Zulu  make  night  more 
hideous  or  dance  more  grotesquely?  After  all,  we're 
only  a  generation  from  the  mining  camp." 

"  It  is  nerve-shattering,"  Andrew  said,  laughing  for 
the  first  time.  "  But  you  —  you  are  n't  dancing?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  I  am  too  fastidious,  perhaps,"  she  said  daintily, 
"  but  I  prefer  the  old  conception  of  woman  to  the  catch- 
as-catch-can  familiarity.  I  believe  in  maintaining  the 
preciousness  of  oneself.  I  don't  enjoy  being  pawed 
and  mauled." 

The  idea  was  new  to  him.  He  considered  it,  com 
prehending  instantly. 

"  You  are  right,"  he  said,  looking  at  her.  Her  per 
sonality  at  that  moment  enveloped  him  agreeably,  like 
a  delicious  perfume.  "  But  not  many  women  would 
agrree." 

"  How  many  of  them  are  women  ?  "  she  said,  look 
ing  gently  into  his  eyes  with  a  glance  that  was  all  femi 
nine.  The  gray,  transparent  eyes  in  the  brown  oval 
reflected  the  smiling  seduction  of  her  lips.  He  saw  and 
admired  the  high  pride  of  the  throat  and  the  long, 
graceful  fingers  closed  over  her  fan. 

"  What  a  woman  she  is !  "  he  thought ;  but  recalled 
to  gloomy  thoughts,  he  said, 

"Whose  fault  is  it?    Ours?" 


222  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

She  nodded,  and,  to  meet  the  new  interest  in  his  eyes, 
offered  her  profile,  extending  her  graceful  arm  with  a 
slow  release  of  the  fan,  which  laid  the  nodding  white 
plumes  against  the  warm  Spanish  tints  of  her  throat. 

"  So  Amy  has  been  talking  to  you?"  he  said  ab 
ruptly.  "  Do  you  blame  me  ?  " 

She  turned,  kindness  in  her  eyes.  If  there  was  one 
thing  she  adored,  it  was  for  other  women's  husbands 
to  spread  their  confidences  before  her. 

"  Of  course  I  don't — I  understand  things  she  can't." 
There  was  no  malice  in  her  nature,  and,  on  account  of 
her  instinct  of  coquetry,  she  was  surer  and  more  dan 
gerous.  :<  Your  wife  is  very  young,  Andrew." 

'  That  is  true,"  he  said  gravely. 

She  laid  her  hand  lightly  on  his  arm,  a  passing  touch. 

"  I  'm  sorry,  Andrew." 

"  She  can  understand,"  he  thought  bitterly.  He 
looked  down  on  the  rollicking  pagans  below,  who 
laughed,  danced,  and  made  merry  about  his  brilliant 
wife,  and  troubled  themselves  not  at  all  about  him  in 
his  isolation. 

"  There  's  one  thing  I  must  say,"  she  said,  for  the 
look  of  pain  on  his  forehead  stirred  a  genuine  sym 
pathy  :  "  You  give  too  much  importance  to  a  boy  like 
Tody  Dawson.  He  is  harmless." 

"  '  Harmless  '  ?  Is  he  ?  "  he  took  up  moodily.  "  Oh, 
in  a  sense,  yes.  In  another,  no.  It 's  his  kind  that  have 
surrounded  her,  that  have  corrupted  her.  It 's  this 
empty,  pleasure-seeking  life,  restless,  always  on  the  go, 
always  wanting  to  be  amused  in  some  new  way.  It 's 
the  habits  of  excitement  such  young  cubs  give  women 
—  that  starts  all  the  harm !  " 

"  Yes ;  what  you  say  is  true,"  she  said  gravely,  and 
she  was  so  impressed  that  she  nodded  twice. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  223 

"  It 's  not  a  question  of  him,"  he  said  hastily.  "  It 's 
a  question  of  my  dignity ;  and  a  man's  sense  of  his  own 
dignity  is  something  he  holds  to !  " 

"  You  must  make  her  understand,"  she  said  gently. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  That 's  only  a  little  of  it !  "  Then  he  looked  at  her, 
moved  to  confidences.  "  It 's  queer,  but  it  was  just 
the  accident  of  our  visit  to  Chilton  changed  my  life." 

''How  so?" 

"  It  did,"  he  repeated,  nodding  his  head.  "  It  showed 
me  what  money  could  do.  It  was  a  revelation.  I 
wanted  what  you  had."  He  stopped,  frowned,  and, 
for  a  moment,  plunged  into  the  past. 

"  Don't  say  anything  —  if  it  is  hard,"  she  said,  as  he 
remained  silent. 

"  I  admired  you,"  he  said,  as  though  he  had  not 
heard  her.  '  Your  taste,  the  quiet,  the  real  elegance  of 
your  home,  the  order  in  the  household,  the  way  your 
children  were  brought  up.  I  wanted  a  home  like  yours. 
I  wanted  her  to  be  like  you." 

She  was  immensely  flattered,  for  she  adored  to  be 
told  that  she  was  a  good  housekeeper  and  a  perfect 
mother.  She  was  so  grateful  that  he  appreciated  these 
qualities  that,  in  the  genuine  liking  she  felt  for  him, 
she  determined  to  try  and  help  him. 

"  Do  you  realize  how  young  she  is  ?  "  she  asked. 
"  Is  n't  that  a  little  your  fault,  too  ?  You  needed  a 
woman  to  understand  you  and  help  you,  and  you  chose 
a  child." 

"  A  good  deal  my  fault  —  yes,"  he  said  loyally.  "  I 
know  nothing  about  women.  I  've  never  had  the  time 
to  study  them.  A  cleverer  man,  I  suppose,  would  n't 
have  made  the  mistake  I  've  made.  Now  the  mischief  's 
done." 


224  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  " 

He  nodded. 

"  She  's  out  of  my  hand  now.  Oh,  we  '11  go  on  — 
other  marriages  go  on.  But  —  "  He  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  glanced  down  at  his  hands  which  lay 
locked  on  the  balustrade.  "  Well,  I  've  readjusted  my 
self;  that 's  over." 

"  I  don't  think  she  realizes  this,"  she  said  slowly. 

"No;  probably  not.  She  will."  He  paused,  and 
then  said  emphatically :  "  The  trouble  is,  women  don't 
realize  what 's  important  in  marriage.  We  are  the  ones 
who  fight  the  battle.  We  are  the  ones  who  build.  Do 
anything  else,  but  don't  interfere  with  that !  " 

As  he  said  this,  his  voice  became  hard  and  his  face 
set  in  sternness.  She  comprehended  in  a  flash  the  lack 
of  compromise  in  his  character,  and  what  he  must  have 
suffered  to  come  where  he  had  come. 

"  What  a  pity !  "  she  said,  looking  at  him.  "  And  a 
woman  could  do  so  much  for  you !  " 

'  The  right  woman,  yes !  "  he  said  abruptly.  "  You 
won't  think  I  'm  trying  to  pay  you  only  a  compliment. 
But  if  I  had  you  for  my  wife —  Good  Lord,  how 
much  I  could  do !  " 

It  wras  not  a  declaration ;  it  was  more  —  an  apprecia 
tion,  and  it  stirred  her  and  lifted  her  to  spiritual  satis^ 
faction  as  nothing  had  ever  done  before. 

"  The  pity  is,  it 's  all  so  much  a  question  of  accident," 
she  said  meditatively. 

"  You  turn  to  the  right  instead  of  the  left  at  one 
certain  moment,"  he  said,  nodding,  "  and  your  whole 
life  hangs  on  it." 

"  I  wish  I  could  help  you,"  she  said  impulsively,  look 
ing  away  from  him. 

"  You  have." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES     ,  225 

"  I  'm  afraid  you  idealize  me." 

He  shook  his  head  obstinately. 

"  Not  you !  " 

"  I  shan't  forget  what  you  said.  I  understand  how 
you  said  it,"  she  continued.  "  I  can  understand  —  be 
cause  —  well,  because  you  are  not  the  only  one  who  has 
had  to  readjust." 

He  looked  at  her  in  amazement. 

"You?" 

"  Are  you  blind  ?  "  she  said  gently,  her  eyes  far  away. 
The  strains  of  a  languid  waltz  floated  about  them,  and 
the  firefly  glow  of  the  mellow  lights  among  the  swim 
ming  colors  below  awoke  dangerous  moods. 

He  frowned,  and  a  picture  of  Rudolph  Dellabarre's 
watery  little  eyes  and  calculated  steps  retiring  into  the 
library  for  the  night  came  to  his  eyes. 

"  Good  heavens,  you !  "  he  said  hastily.    "  I  forgot." 

She  drew  back,  wondering  herself  at  the  impulse 
which  had  led  her  thus  to  match  confidence  for  confi 
dence,  glancing  around  uneasily,  fearing  eavesdroppers. 

"  I  wish  I  could  help  you,"  she  said.  "  A  man  like 
you,  a  man  who  really  counts,  needs  strength." 

He  looked  at  her,  his  eyes  deep  into  hers. 

"  What  a  pity !  "  he  said  abruptly. 

"  It 's  all  a  question  of  accident,"  she  said  again  pen 
sively.  :<  The  right  person  comes  at  the  wrong  mo 
ment,  as  you  say.  I  'm  sorry,  Andrew." 

She  nodded  and  left  him.  Presently  he  saw  her  be 
low,  stopping  to  greet  some  one.  He  liked  the  straight, 
graceful  carriage  of  the  body,  and  the  dignity  with 
which  she  offered  her  hand.  There  was  a  quiet,  a 
gentleness  about  her  —  and  she  had  a  mind.  Curious 
thoughts  came  to  him  as  he  followed  her  movements 
through  the  gay  crowd  — 


226  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

The  ballroom  below  him  was  still  riotous  with  the 
gaiety  of  succeeding  dances.  The  sound  of  women's 
laughter  rose  in  shriller  note.  Perhaps  if  he  had  been 
happy  his  only  emotion  would  have  been  of  pride ;  but 
sorrow  had  touched  him  with  its  clarifying  vision.  He 
remembered  that  other  crowd  in  which  he  had  stood  in 
the  great  terminal,  the  surging,  purposeful  sweeping 
towards  the  future  of  mingled  America.  How  inconse 
quential  all  this  luxury  was  in  the  great  scheme ! 

"  Let  her  dance,  if  that  is  all  she  understands,"  he 
said  grimly,  "  so  long  as  it  does  n't  interfere  with  what 
I  build." 


XII 

THEY  were  seated  in  a  little  bower  of  wistaria,  Amy 
Forrester  and  Mrs.  Bracken,  and,  by  the  gravity  of 
their  expression,  the  conversation  must  have  been  seri 
ous.  Behind  them,  the  low  white  bulk  of  the  Colonial 
house  shone  over  the  lawns  rich  with  the  deep  green 
tinge  of  early  May.  Before  them  an  old-fashioned 
garden,  with  early  note  of  crocus,  tulip,  and  narcissus, 
wound  in  pleasant  surprises  out  toward  the  fields, 
where  the  farm  hands  were  harrowing  the  red  soil  for 
the  early  planting.  In  the  paddock  to  the  left  Allan 
Bracken  was  giving  the  first  lessons  to  Bob,  aged  eight, 
balanced  on  the  back  of  a  fat  pony,  while  the  three 
younger  children,  perched  on  the  fence,  were  watching 
with  tense  admiration.  Above  them,  in  the  arbor,  the 
first  clusters  of  wistaria  were  swelling  in  the  bud.  A 
weeping  willow  and  a  grove  of  maple  trees  in  full  leaf 
caught  the  slight  impulse  of  the  young  breeze,  redolent 
with  the  perfume  of  budding  time.  A  lazy,  fluffy  cloud 
hung  motionless  against  the  blue  span.  It  was  pleasant 
to  every  sense,  vaguely  troubling  to  the  imagination. 
It  was  in  the  full  awakening  country,  and  it  was  spring. 
"  I  envy  you  more  than  any  woman  I  know,"  said 
Amy  Forrester,  glancing  toward  the  distant  roll  of 
hills,  where  the  blue  flash  of  the  bay  came  rippling  up 
with  a  myriad  glancing  helmets.  "  I  wish  I  could  live 
like  this  away  from  New  York,  out  among  real  things. 
I  used  to  —  and,"  she  added,  with  a  laughing  glance  at 
her  striped  skirt,  her  chiffon  blouse,  and  arched  white 
slipper  that  gave  her  the  air  of  a  Dresden  shepherdess, 


228  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  and  I  used  to  dress  in  overalls  and  ride  home  on  the 
hay  wagons.'' 

"  I  wonder  if  you  'd  be  happy  now,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken  frankly.  She  was  in  heavy  boots,  khaki  skirt, 
and  broad-brimmed  hat,  and  her  knitted  sweater  was 
covered  with  green  remnants,  while  her  hands  were 
stained  with  the  flowers  which  she  was  sorting  in  her 
lap. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Amy,  pensively.  She  stirred  up 
the  gravel  with  the  tip  of  her  lace  parasol  without  look 
ing  at  her  companion.  In  the  two  days  she  had  spent 
at  the  farm  she  had  more  than  once  been  on  the  point  of 
taking  Claire  into  her  confidence.  Yet  each  time  she 
found  the  opening  difficult.  "  I  don't  see  why  you  like 
me,"  she  said  at  last,  without  warning. 

Claire  Bracken  laughed  her  happy,  whole-hearted 
laugh. 

"  In  the  first  place,  because  you  are  a  lovable  per 
son,"  she  said  directly. 

"  I  think  I  am  all  wrong,"  said  Amy,  frowning. 

Mrs.  Bracken  studied  her  a  moment,  trying  to  make 
out  how  genuine  was  this  confession.  Then  she  said, 
smiling, 

"  Yes,  I  think  you  are." 

"  What !  You  do  think  so  ?  "  said  Amy,  startled,  for 
she  was  far  from  thinking  so  herself. 

"  Yes ;  but  you  are  no  worse  than  all  the  rest  —  and 
the  pity  is  with  you,  there  is  so  much  real  good  in  you. 
You  really  ought  to  count." 

"  If  I  only  had  a  home  like  this,  heavens,  how  will 
ingly  I  'd  give  up  all  the  rest !  "  said  Amy,  impulsively. 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure  of  your  repentance,  pretty  lady," 
said  Claire,  smiling. 

"Why  not?" 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  229 

"  I  think  you  've  come  up  to  a  great  climax,  and  now 
everything  is  relaxed  —  a  little  tame  perhaps.  It 's  the 
end  of  the  season,  but  the  appetite  will  return." 

Amy  laughed  in  confusion. 

"  Heavens !  It 's  much  easier  facing  my  conscience 
than  facing  you !  " 

"Well,  am  I  right?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  you  are,"  she  admitted,  serious  all  at 
once.  "  I  Ve  had  a  taste  of  excitement,  and  I  crave  it. 
I  suppose  it 's  my  destiny  and  I  '11  go  on  burning  my 
self  out.  And  yet  —  I'm  restless  —  I'm  not  really 
happy!" 

"  Why  don't  you  have  children?  "  said  Claire. 

"  So  soon  ?  "  said  Amy,  aghast,  for  she  was  far 
from  expecting  this  answer.  She  started  to  defend 
herself  by  falling  back  on  Andrew,  but  she  was  in  the 
mood  for  confession,  which  also  is  a  dramatic  impulse 
of  the  coquette.  "  Frankly,  I  don't  want  them  now  — 
because  I  'm  selfish,  because  I  want  to  enjoy  my  youth. 
Now  you  know  the  worst  about  me.  I  adore  society ; 
crave  excitement,  and  I  can't  give  it  up.  Can  you 
understand  a  selfish  little  beast  like  myself  ?  " 

"  I  can  understand  a  good  many  things,"  said  Claire 
calmly.  "  I  think  I  may  see  you  better  than  you  do 
yourself.  You  are  the  kind  that  can  do  a  lot  of  harm 
in  this  world  or  a  lot  of  good." 

"  I  once  felt  the  way  you  do  —  when  I  was  first  mar 
ried  —  I  wanted  children,  but  Andrew,  my  husband, 
did  n't  want  them." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  he  was  foolish  enough  to  want  me  to 
play!" 

"  And  yet  you  are  not  happy?  " 

Amy  shook  her  head,  then  she  corrected  herself. 


23o  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  That  is,  I  am  restless." 

At  this  moment,  across  the  fields  came  the  galloping 
thud  of  horses'  hoofs.  Monte  Bracken  and  Fifi  Nord- 
strum  came  racing  up  to  the  paddock  with  the  result 
that  Master  Bob,  in  the  excitement,  went  sprawling 
onto  the  sod. 

"He's  fallen!"  exclaimed  Amy,  jumping  to  her 
feet. 

Mrs.  Bracken  glanced  up  without  agitation. 

"  Bob  's  a  good  soldier,"  she  said  simply.  "  The 
sod  's  soft." 

The  next  moment  Monte  Bracken  had  swung  the 
youngster  up  into  the  saddle  in  front  of  him  and  came 
cantering  along  the  fence. 

"All  right;  no  bones  broken.  A  chip  of  the  old 
block,"  he  said,  waving  his  hat  in  delight  at  the  laugh 
ing  youngster.  Then,  wheeling,  he  rode  back  to  where 
Fifi,  who  had  rounded  up  the  fat  pony,  was  waiting. 

"  I  wish  Monte  would  marry  your  cousin,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken  suddenly. 

Amy  opened  the  parasol  and  closed  it  again,  her  eyes 
on  the  paddock.  Just  why  this  should  throw  her  into 
confusion  surprised  her.  Since  the  ball  she  had  care 
fully  avoided  Monte  Bracken  and,  despite  the  intimacy 
of  the  house  party,  she  had  managed  never  to  be  left 
in  tete-a-tete.  Yet  she  found  herself  resenting  Mrs. 
Bracken's  suggestion. 

"  They  will  never  fall  in  love  with  each  other,  I  'm 
afraid." 

"Why  not?" 

"  They  are  too  much  alike  —  and  too  good  friends," 
she  explained.  "  But  you  do  surprise  me.  I  thought 
Fifi  would  be  the  last  person  you  would  pick  out — with 
your  ideas.  I  thought  you  would  look  on  her  as  a  wild, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  231 

harum-scarum  tomboy,  who  would  never  settle  down." 
She  felt  that  she  was  putting  too  much  emotion  into 
her  objection,  so  she  added,  "  That 's  not  my  belief." 

"  She  has  two  qualities  that  will  make  her  marriage 
a  happy  one,"  said  Claire,  without  looking  at  her  com 
panion.  "  She  is  loyal,  and  she  has  pride.  Whatever 
belongs  to  her,  she  will  make  a  success.  I  like  Fifi 
very  much." 

"  Is  this  aimed  at  me?"  thought  Amy.  She  haz 
arded  a  glance.  Mrs.  Bracken  was  bending  over  her 
flowers. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right  about  Fifi.  The  trouble  is  I 
don't  think  she  would  ever  think  of  marriage  unless 
she  were  head  over  heels  in  love  —  or  your  brother-in- 
law  either." 

'  That  is  the  trouble.  It 's  a  pity.  They  are  so  suited 
to  each  other.  She  would  be  a  real  force  behind  him. 
Afterward  they  would  grow  together. 

''  That 's  rather  the  continental  point  of  view  than 
ours,  is  n't  it  ?  "  said  Amy,  smiling. 

"  There  is  a  middle  ground  between  the  two.  Do 
you  wish  me  to  speak  frankly?  " 

Amy  hesitated,  and  again  the  point  of  her  dainty 
parasol  traced  arabesques  in  the  gravel. 

"  I  am  a  little  afraid  of  you,"  she  said,  raising  her 
glance.  "  You  are  too  happy." 

*'  You  need  never  be  afraid  of  me,  whatever  hap 
pens,"  said  Mrs.  Bracken.  She  leaned  over  and  laid 
her  hand  on  Amy's  with  gentleness  in  her  eyes,  such  as 
only  those  who  have  borne  a  secret  cross  can  know. 
"  We  have  wanted  to  talk  to  each  other  from  the  first, 
have  n't  we  ?  Why  not  now  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  hard  —  just  now,"  said  Amy.  Her  eyes 
filled  with  tears.  She  rose,  took  a  few  steps,  and  came 


232  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

back.  "  I  am  very  foolish.  Don't  mind  me."  She  sat 
down,  stared  ahead  a  long  moment,  and  then  said 
slowly :  "  Mrs.  Bracken,  what  is  a  girl  to  do  who  has 
married  blindly  and  then  suddenly  wakes  up  to  the  fact 
that  there  is  no  longer  anything  in  common  with  her 
husband,  neither  love  nor  sympathy  nor  understanding 
of  any  sort?  What  is  she  to  do  with  her  life  —  and 
particularly  if  the  moment  comes  when  she  meets  some 
one  else  who  she  knows  would  mean  happiness  in  every 
way  —  if  she  had  only  known  how  to  choose?  What 
is  she  to  do  ?  " 

'  You  are  not  there  yet." 

"  No,  no  —  but  it  will  come;  of  course  it  will  come. 
A  woman  really  must  love  sometime ! "  She  turned, 
terrified  at  what  she  had  said.  "  Do  you  know  it 's 
horrible  what  I  've  told  you  ?  I  Ve  never  even  thought 
it  myself." 

"  I  don't  admit  that  things  are  so  bad,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken,  shaking  her  head.  "  And  I  don't  think  you 
are  right  in  your  estimation  of  your  feelings  toward 
your  husband." 

"I  am  —  I  am,"  she  said  obstinately,  her  eyes 
obscured. 

"  You  feel  too  much  what  you  say  not  to  care,"  said 
Mrs.  Bracken  quietly;  "and  as  for  him,  I  know  he 
loves  you."  She  came  near  adding,  "  By  the  look  of 
pain  I  've  seen  in  his  face,"  but  unwisely  she  refrained. 

"  Good  heavens !  We  are  a  thousand  miles  apart !  " 
Amy  sprang  up  again  and  stood  against  the  arbor, 
tearing  off  the  young  buds  and  twisting  them  in  her 
fingers.  "  I  can't  talk  about  it  just  now.  I  can't  go 
into  details  as  I  would  have  to,"  she  said  hurriedly. 

"  Then  don't,  my  dear.     When  you  are  ready  —  " 

"  Yes,  yes ;  some  later  time,"  she  answered.    She  was 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  233 

not  ready  yet  to  face  such  a  clear-eyed  judge,  not  yet 
sure  of  the  verdict. 

"  Let  us  avoid  personalities,  then,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken,  and,  for  the  first  time,  her  glance  rested  on 
the  young  wife  with  a  touch  of  uneasiness.  "  Let  me 
see  if  I  can  make  you  understand  my  point  of  view 
about  marriage,"  she  continued,  in  a  quieter  tone, 
which  brought  Amy  gradually  back  to  calm.  "  I  may 
seem  to  you  old-fashioned.  I  don't  believe  in  the  mod 
ern  women  —  the  women  of  our  world,  that  is.  I 
don't  believe  in  the  way  young  girls  are  brought  up  to 
feel  that  they  owe  nothing  to  life  but  to  accept  the 
sacrifices  of  others.  I  don't  believe  in  the  disorganiza 
tion  that  a  young  girl  of  eighteen  is  pitchforked  into 
in  what  is  called  her  '  debutante  year.'  I  don't  believe 
in  cramming  into  a  few  months  all  the  pleasures  which 
should  come  naturally  through  life  —  and  be  enjoyed 
naturally.  I  don't  think  it 's  fair  to  the  girl  —  or  to 
the  man  who  has  to  marry  her.  I  don't  believe  in  a 
woman  being  freed  of  all  responsibilities  as  a  wife  or 
a  mother,  existing  only  to  enjoy  what  her  husband 
makes,  without  sharing  his  worries  or  helping  in  the 
economy  of  his  existence.  Moreover,  I  don't  believe  in 
the  modern  wife,  after  a  year  or  two,  a  baby  or  two, 
taking  up  again  the  same  life  of  flattery  and  adulation 
she  has  had  as  a  young  girl." 

Amy  felt  her  cheeks  go  red. 

"  And  yet  you  like  me !  "  she  said,  with  a  gasp. 

"  It 's  not  the  woman's  fault  —  that 's  the  pity.  It 's 
the  American  sentimentalization  toward  us.  It 's  we 
who  are  cheated." 

"  What  do  you  believe  in  then  ?  " 

"  I  believe  in  bringing  up  my  girls  to  marry,  not  in  a 
sentimental  mawkish  outburst,  but  with  a  knowledge 


234  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

of  the  things  they  expect  in  a  husband,  whom  they 
wish  to  admire,  cherish,  and  assist.  And  I  am  going 
to  bring  them  up  to  be  prepared  to  play  a  great  part  in 
that  marriage,  to  know  the  conduct  of  the  household, 
to  develop  their  executive  qualities,  and  I  am  going  to 
bring  them  up  to  a  belief  that  the  highest  ideal  is  to  be 
a  wife  and  a  mother  and  to  know  how  to  maintain  that 
ideal  in  the  eyes  of  their  husbands  and  their  children. 
I  'm  going  to  do  that,  because  I  want  their  happiness." 

"  Yes ;  but  what  ideal  ?  "  Amy  murmured,  drawing 
a  deep  breath. 

"  The  ideal  of  duty,  naturally,"  said  Mrs.  Bracken, 
simply. 

"  Oh,  duty,  duty !  "  exclaimed  the  younger  woman, 
in  a  burst  of  revolt.  "  It 's  always  that !  After  all, 
what  is  duty?  " 

"  Duty,  my  dear,  is  simply  self-respect,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken  gently.  "  It  means  that  what  a  woman  does, 
does  not  depend  on  any  such  philosophies  as  you  and 
I  hear  every  day  —  if  my  husband  does  that,  I  '11  do  it, 
too.  It  means  that  you  are  brought  up  first,  last  and 
always,  with  the  need  of  respecting  yourself,  and,  what 
ever  comes,  that  you  will  never  soil  that  ideal.  You 
see,  I  belong  to  a  family  that  does  n't  simply  go  to 
church,"  she  added,  after  a  moment,  "but  makes  its 
religious  belief  the  reason  of  its  conduct." 

"Oh,  yes;  if  you  believe  —  I  understand,"  Amy 
said,  in  a  low  voice. 

"And  if  you  don't  —  what  are  you  all  seeking? 
Happiness,  of  course.  Do  you  think  Irma  Dellabarre 
or  Gladys  is  really  happy?  Are  you?  " 

"  Mrs.  Bracken,  it  must  sound  terrible,"  said  Amy, 
and  the  tears  came  to  her  eyes  again ;  "  I  think  I  am 
happy,  I  truthfully  think  I  am.  I  might  say  no  in  some 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  235 

moods.  A  dozen  times  since  I  've  been  here  and  loved 
your  life  and  all  that,  I  could  have  said  no,  but  at  the 
bottom  —  "  She  rose  and  shook  her  head,  "  Yes ; 
I  want  the  life  I  lead." 

"  Answer  me  in  a  year." 

"  Life  is  easier  for  you,"  Amy  said,  hurrying  on. 
'  You  have  made  no  mistakes.  Don't  be  too  hard  on 
others.  Don't  judge  me  too  severely." 

"  I  don't,"  said  Mrs.  Bracken,  rising  in  turn.  She 
came  and  stood  by  her  side.  "  And  the  proof  is  I  am 
going  to  ask  something  of  you." 

"  I  will  do  anything  in  the  world  for  you,  Mrs. 
Bracken  —  anything  you  ask,"  said  Amy  impulsively. 

"Will  you?" 

"  Anything  if  you  '11  only  be  my  friend !  " 

"  I  want  Monte  to  marry  your  cousin,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken.  "  Don't  do  anything  to  interfere  with  it,  will 
you?" 

"  But  —  why  —  "  For  a  moment  she  could  not  get 
her  breath.  Then  she  said  hurriedly,  "  Why,  Mrs. 
Bracken,  such  a  thing  —  why,  I  have  never  —  " 

"  Don't !  "  said  Mrs.  Bracken,  looking  at  her  and, 
before  that  clear  look,  Amy's  glance  fell.  "  You  at 
tract  him  very  strongly.  I  saw  that  from  the  first 
night.  There  is  so  much  that  is  fine  in  him.  I  want  to 
see  him  happy.  He  means  so  much  to  us." 

Amy  looked  at  her  in  wonder,  and  this  time  it  was 
Mrs.  Bracken's  eyes  that  turned  away. 

Something  caught  her  like  the  closing  of  cruel  fingers 
across  her  heart.  A  sob  rose  in  her  throat,  before  some 
thing  she  could  not  see  clearly.  She  caught  Mrs. 
Bracken's  hand  and  kissed  it. 

"  I  promise,"  she  said  hastily.  "  I  promise  I  will  do 
everything  I  can  to  help." 


XIII 

MONTE  BRACKEN  was  to  drive  them  back  to  the 
city.  The  afternoon  had  been  so  delicious  that 
they  had  postponed  the  leaving  until  after  dinner.  The 
night  was  clear  and  sown  with  stars.  Under  the  mellow 
region  of  the  porte-cochere  lamps,  they  looked,  in  their 
fur  coats,  like  Esquimos  starting  on  a  hunt.  Claire 
and  her  husband  stood  arm  in  arm,  while  the  valises 
were  stowed  and  the  ladies  bundled  into  the  back  seat 
and  were  smothered  in  furs. 

"  Come  again  soon,  pretty  lady,"  said  Allan,  run 
ning  down  to  Amy  for  a  last  boyish  handshake.  "  Fifi, 
you  're  part  of  the  family  always.  Bye-bye,  Monte. 
It's  been  a  bully  time!" 

Amy  freed  one  arm  and  kissed  her  hand  to  Mrs. 
Bracken,  who  stood  on  the  steps,  smiling  back  at  them. 
Between  them,  no  further  word  of  intimacy  had  been 
spoken,  but  in  the  meeting  of  their  glances  they  knew 
that  the  compact  of  friendship  had  been  sealed. 

The  next  moment  the  searchlights  swept  over  the 
low,  vine-covered  Colonial  home  into  the  pine  grove, 
and  fastened  on  the  white  road  ahead. 

"  What  a  wonderful  person !  "  said  Amy,  leaning 
back  until  the  sprinkled  stars  closed  over  her. 

"  Cleverest  little  woman  I  know,"  said  Fifi  emphati 
cally.  "  Only  thing  I  can't  make  out  is  why  she  has 
any  use  for  me !  " 

"If  you  'd  heard  what  she  said  about  you  —  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  237 

"  Oh,  yes;  she  believes  in  my  repentance/'  said  Fifi, 
cutting  in.  "  That 's  because  she  wants  me  to  tame 
Monte  and  marry  him." 

"Well,  why  don't  you?"  said  Amy,  after  a  mo 
ment's  laughter  at  her  cousin's  slapdash  way. 

"  If  she  'd  oppose  me,  I  'd  do  it,"  said  Fifi  frankly. 
"  I  Ve  never  yet  done  anything  any  one  wanted  me  to 
do,  and  I  suppose  I  never  will." 

"  Fifi,  you  're  incorrigible,"  said  Amy,  determined 
to  live  up  to  her  promise,  despite  her  dislike  of  her 
cousin's  confident  assumption  that  the  decision  lay  in 
her  hands. 

"  Hello  there,  Monte,"  said  Fifi,  poking  into  the 
voluminous  fur  back  in  front  of  her.  "  Did  you  know 
that  Claire  is  trying  to  splice  us  up  ?  " 

"  Don't  worry !  " 

"  Now,  that 's  a  passionate  answer,"  said  Fifi  gaily. 
"  Don't  worry  yourself.  You  're  interesting  as  a  bold 
bad  man,  but  as  a  captive  husband  you  'd  be  flat.  You 
shan't  be  spoiled  —  if  I  have  to  mount  guard  over  you. 
I  don't  feel  a  bit  like  going  home,"  she  continued,  sit 
ting  back ;  "  could  n't  we  run  in  on  Irma  for  the  night  ? 
Friend  husband  's  off  fishing  —  it  ought  to  be  quite 
cheerful." 

"  We  refused  to  spend  the  night  at  the  Brackens ;  it 
would  hardly  look  right,  would  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no;  of  course  not.  Bother  it!"  said  Fifi, 
who  relaxed  with  a  sigh.  "  What 's  Irma  up  to,  any 
how?" 

"  Crocodile  hunting,  I  suppose,"  said  Amy,  with  a 
laugh.  "  I  have  n't  seen  her  for  a  week,  and  that 's  a 
sign." 

Fifi  started  to  say  something  and  abruptly  checked 
herself.  After  a  moment,  she  said  casually, 


238  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  I  suppose  Andrew 's  worried  at  the  Mexican 
muss." 

"Yes,  I'm  afraid  so!" 

The  Tampico  incident  and  the  consequent  fall  in 
Osaba  shares,  with  the  aftermath  of  the  ball  in  inci 
dental  bills,  had  been  soul-trying. 

"  When  does  he  get  up  again?  " 

"  Any  time  now,"  said  Amy. 

"Little  spat  over?" 

"Yes,  indeed!" 

"That's  right  — be  firm,"  said  Fifi,  with  a  nod. 
"  Irma  is  right.  When  husbands  growl  nowadays,  it 's 
usually  financial  dyspepsia.  I  say,  let 's  shut  up  —  this 
is  too  gorgeous !  " 

Amy,  nothing  loath,  relapsed  into  silence.  In  the 
three  weeks  of  her  husband's  absence,  she  had  no  word 
of  his  plans.  The  day  after  his  leaving,  she  had  re 
ceived  a  short,  business-like  note,  informing  her  of  the 
allowance  which  he  wished  her  to  observe  and  request 
ing  the  total  of  her  present  debt.  She  had  sent  them 

—  that  is,  almost  all  —  and  they  had  been  paid  through 
his  office  immediately.     She  had  been  surprised  at  his 
liberality  —  even  touched  by  it.     There  was,  at  any 
rate,  nothing  petty  about  him.     At  least  she  could  ad 
mire  him.    But  that  was  all.     There  had  been  no  fur 
ther  discussion.     She  accepted  his  decision  as  an  ulti 
matum.      After  all,  why  discuss?      They  had  never 
really  talked  openly  to  each  other,  and  they  probably 
never  would.     No  compromise  was  possible  with  one 
of  his  obstinacy.     In  a  way,  the  decision  was  a  relief 

—  constant    daily    contact    would    have    been    more 
difficult. 

"  Drop  me  first,  Monte,"  said  Fifi,  waking  up  at 
last.  "  No ;  it 's  not  manners  or  etiquette.  Just  sim- 


VIRTUOUS   WIVES  239 

ply  moods,  that 's  all.  If  I  were  left  alone  with  you, 
I  'd  be  nasty." 

Amy  started  to  protest,  for  she  was  apprehensive  of 
a  tete-a-tete,  but  all  at  once  she  reassured  herself  by 
the  thought  that  this  would  be  a  good  moment  to  open 
up  the  subject  of  Fifi. 

"  Why  don't  you  spend  the  night  with  me  ?  "  she  said 
half-heartedly. 

"  No,  no !  Communing  with  nature  's  got  on  my 
nerves,"  said  Fifi.  "  Home  for  me !  " 

They  left  her  at  the  old  family  residence  on  lower 
Fifth  Avenue,  just  off  Washington  Square,  and 
started  up-town,  over  the  vacant  streets,  across  which 
an  occasional  taxi  went  sputtering,  a  milk  wagon  rat 
tled,  or  a  newspaper  truck  screamed  on  its  breathless 
rush  for  the  outward  mails.  She  had  come  into  the 
front  seat  beside  Bracken.  The  car  slowed  down  to  a 
colloquial  pace. 

"  Nice  time  to  talk,  don't  you  think?    Not  sleepy?  " 

"  Quite  awake." 

"  Yes;  you  always  are,"  he  said,  turning  toward  her 
with  a  smile.  "  And  tremendously  alive." 

The  slightest  compliment,  even  the  most  obvious, 
from  him  gave  her  an  instant  pleasure.  But  to-night 
she  feared  an  approach  to  intimacy,  so  she  began  reso 
lutely. 

"  You  knew  that  Claire  wished  you  to  marry  Fifi?  " 

"What?    Oh,  yes." 

She  hesitated,  then  went  on  with  some  difficulty: 

'  You  would  be  very  happy  in  your  own  home,  with 
some  one  to  work  for  and  some  one  to  help  you.  But 
I  suppose  you  don't  believe  in  marriage." 

"  On  the  contrary,  yes  —  I  do  very  strongly,"  he 
said  quietly.  "  I  think  my  brother  the  most  fortunate 


240  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

man  in  the  world.  He  lives  as  human  beings  were 
meant  to  live.  He  's  part  of  the  soil,  part  of  his  time 
and  part  of  his  community.  The  rest  of  us  are  just 
transients." 

"  Then  the  most  reasonable  thing  you  could  do 
would  be  to  marry  Fifi,"  she  said  resolutely.  "  She 
cares  for  you,  I  'm  certain,  and  she  has  lots  of  the 
qualities  of  your  sister-in-law — if  she  only  had  a 
chance  to  bring  them  out." 

"  Fifi  's  good  stuff,"  he  admitted. 

"Then  why  not?" 

"Why?" 

He  asked  the  question  as  though  to  himself  and  re 
lapsed  into  a  moody  silence.  Madison  Square,  with 
its  calm,  green  pools  of  darkness,  its  beggars  huddled 
on  benches,  and  the  high,  fairy  tower  with  its  golden 
clock,  was  at  their  side;  the  great  thoroughfare  de 
serted,  save  for  a  wandering  shadow,  a  flare-up  of 
gasoline  at  a  fruit  stand  and  a  late  car  switching  noisily 
over  the  echoing  stones. 

"Why?"  he  repeated.  "Because  I  never  do  any 
thing  reasonable,  I  suppose.  Kismet.  I  'm  made  dif 
ferently  or  started  wrong.  Even  Fifi  sees  that;  she 
would  n't  change  me.  You  must  have  realized  that 
about  me,"  he  said,  turning  and  looking  at  her. 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  said  faintly.  His  head  was  in 
shadow,  but  she  felt  the  luminous  eyes  looking  down 
into  hers. 

"  They  say  a  lot  of  nasty  things  about  me,  I  sup 
pose.  If  they  only  knew !  I  'm  the  one  who  pays.  It 's 
seeking  an  ideal  —  chasing  a  will-o'-the-wisp  —  the 
longing  for  beauty." 

"  You  must  have  suffered,"  she  said  involuntarily, 
"suffered  a  great  deal.  Is  it  worth  it?" 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  241 

"  It  is  worth  it,"  he  said  solemnly.  "  And  I  am 
willing  to  suffer  all  again,"  he  added,  in  a  low  voice. 

In  all  this  there  was  nothing  personal,  yet  every 
word  he  said  came  directly  to  her.  She  sank  her  head 
in  the  furs  till  only  her  eyes  showed  under  the  low 
brim  of  her  hat.  The  light  of  an  arc-lamp  flashed 
across  his  set  lips,  and  the  eyes  that  burned  darkly  in 
the  soft  face  —  no,  there  was  nothing  tame  about  him. 

"  Why  does  he  say  this  to  me  ?  "  she  asked  herself, 
held  half  by  terror  and  half  by  a  leaping  sensation  of 
joy.  She  sought  to  convince  herself  that  she  did  not 
know  the  answer,  but  she  did  not  ask  the  question  of 
him. 

"  However,  there  comes  a  time,"  she  said  resolutely, 
"  when  you  change  —  when  you  need  other  things  of 
life." 

"  Perhaps." 

"  I  'm  going  to  persuade  you  yet." 

He  did  not  answer  this,  except  to  increase  their  speed 
with  a  sudden  release  that  sent  them  flying  up  the 
avenue,  past  Forty-second  Street  with  its  tinsel  lights, 
past  the  married  towers  of  the  cathedral  plunging  into 
the  blossoming  stars,  into  the  opening  spaces  at  the 
foot  of  the  park,  and  quickly  into  the  quiet  street. 

"  Now  that  all  good  things  come  to  an  end,"  he 
said,  turning  to  her,  "  I  'm  going  to  say  an  impertinent 
thing.  I  shan't  forget  those  hours  —  " 

"  Don't,"  she  broke  in  hurriedly. 

"  Those  unreal  hours,"  he  continued,  "  back  in  the 
days  of  Louis  XIV.  When  I  think  of  you,  dear  lady, 
I  shall  always  think  of  La  Mode  Louis  Quatorze. 
If  we  could  only  live  like  that,"  he  said,  in  sudden 
rebellion. 

"  We  can't." 


242  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  No;  of  course  not." 

He  descended;  helped  her  out  with  exact  deference 
—  no  more  —  and  opened  the  door  with  the  key  she 
gave  him.  Then  he  took  off  his  hat. 

"  Good  night  —  and  thank  you  for  this  half-hour/' 
he  said,  smiling  at  her.  "  You  have  the  quality  of 
painting  memories  that  last.  Everything  about  you  is 
gentle  and  exquisite."  He  took  the  hand  she  extended 
to  him  with  a  feeling  of  drowsy  lightness  in  her  head, 
and  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

"  A  la  mode  Louis  Quatorze"  he  said. 

She  went  up  to  her  bedroom  with  a  feeling  of  hap 
piness.  She  assured  herself  that  he  had  not  trespassed 
beyond  the  limits  of  a  sympathetic  friendship.  She 
had  shown  him  plainly  that  she  did  not  intend  to  en 
courage  a  flirtation.  She  had  kept  her  word  to  Claire 
Bracken,  and  the  consciousness  of  her  own  virtue  gave 
her  an  extraordinary  self-satisfaction.  There  was  so 
much  good  in  him  —  Claire  was  right ;  he  would  re 
spond  so  wonderfully  to  a  real  home,  to  children,  and 
a  wife  who  would  give  him  strength.  How  readily  she 
understood  these  needs  in  him ! 

"  Yes ;  he  must  marry  Fifi,"  she  said,  with  deter 
mination. 

Toward  morning,  she  awoke  in  a  troubled  wakeful- 
ness  that  defied  all  her  efforts  to  return  to  sleep.  The 
memory  of  Monte  Bracken  haunted  her.  How  sym 
pathetic  they  were,  even  to  the  unspoken  thoughts,  the 
moments  of  delicacy  which  each  divined. 

"  I  must  not  see  too  much  of  him,"  she  said,  turning 
on  her  pillow.  "  We  understand  each  other  too  easily. 
I  must  be  careful."  She  looked  back,  in  the  light  of 
her  acquired  self-knowledge,  at  the  girl  who,  in  the 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  243 

old-fashioned  garden,  had  decided  her  life  so  rashly, 
so  irrevocably,  and,  in  the  same  revolt  which  had  come 
to  Andrew  as  he  had  faced  the  image  of  himself  the 
night  of  the  ball,  she  cried, 

"  If  I  had  only  known  then  what  I  do  now !  " 


PART   III 


PART    III 


KITTY  LIGHTBODY  came  in,  puffing  and  red, 
making  such  a  racket  as  she  passed  the  tables,  that 
the  lecturer  on  the  news  of  the  week,  a  thin,  grayish 
woman  in  a  poke  bonnet,  momentarily  interrupted  her 
flowing  nasal  comments. 

"Thought  I'd  never  get  here,  dear,"  said  Kitty 
loudly,  embracing  first  Irma  and  then  Amy.  "  Eleven 
o'clock  's  like  a  dawn  tea."  She  settled  into  her  seat, 
rose  again  to  shed  a  brilliant  topaz  sweater  coat,  and, 
oblivious  of  the  waiting  audience,  resumed  her  whis 
pering.  "  I  'm  just  crazy  about  the  idea,  aren't  you? 
I  wish  she'd  read  the  new  books  and  magazines  for 
us.  Has  anything  exciting  happened  last  week  ?  " 

"  At  home,  as  you  probably  all  know,"  took  up  the 
lecturer,  "  the  week  in  Congress  has  been  an  eventful 
one." 

In  the  pleasant  music  room  of  the  Chilton  Yacht 
Club,  two  score  of  women  were  scattered  in  groups  of 
twos  and  threes,  giving  a  painful  attention  to  the  light, 
gliding  phrases  of  the  lecturer,  who,  for  three  dollars 
a  ticket,  relieved  them  of  the  fatiguing  daily  search  of 
the  newspapers  by  these  fashionable  Monday  morn 
ings,  felicitously  named  "  Half-Hours  With  the 
World."  The  windows  were  open  to  the  blue  flash  of 
water  and  the  glare  of  white  sails  hung  against  a  glow 
ing  June  sky.  From  outside  came  the  call  of  the  play- 


248  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

ers  on  the  tennis  courts  and  the  subdued  sounds  of  a 
phonograph,  where,  at  the  further  end  of  the  veranda, 
a  group  had  begun  to  dance. 

"  My  Lord,  that  new  fox-trot  is  catchy !  "  continued 
Mrs.  Lightbody,  with  a  sigh.  "  It 's  too  distracting, 
and  I  must  listen.  It 's  so  instructive,  is  n't  it?  " 

A  girl  in  white  flannels,  swinging  on  the  sill  of  the 
open  window,  half  in  the  room  and  half  out,  was  lis 
tening  by  fits  and  starts,  snickering  with  a  young  fel 
low  who,  from  the  veranda,  was  trying  to  upset  her 
gravity. 

"  At  Washington,  the  terms  of  the  new  Federal  Re 
serve  Bank  law  have  been  generally  discussed,"  said 
the  voice  of  the  lecturer,  "  but  I  won't  trouble  you  with 
such  dry  details." 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  a  large,  square  woman,  mili- 
tantly,  "  but  that 's  just  what  I  do  want  to  know." 

'  Yes ;  please  do  tell  us,"  said  a  piping  voice  up  front. 
"  I  can't  make  head  or  tail  out  of  it." 

'  The  Federal  Reserve  Bank  law  can  best  be  ex 
plained  in  this  way  —  "  began  the  lecturer. 

"  Absurd  to  waste  time  on  such  subjects,"  said  Kitty 
wearily.  She  turned  to  Irma.  "  Has  she  said  anything 
about  that  Newport  scandal  yet  ?  My  dear,  he  was  n't 
a  count  after  all !  " 

"  Be  quiet,  Kitty,"  said  Mrs.  Dellabarre,  with  a 
frown,  as  there  came  a  sudden  impatient  craning  of 
heads  in  the  direction  of  the  disturbance. 

Mrs.  Lightbody's  china  eyes  momentarily  fixed 
themselves  in  a  solemn  contraction.  At  this  moment, 
Jap  Laracy  wandering  in,  in  search  of  amusement,  in 
stalled  himself  behind  Amy. 

"  Fine  day  for  the  trip.  Monte  's  coming  up  to  the 
dock  now." 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  249 

Amy  glanced  at  her  wrist  impatiently  —  there  were 
still  ten  minutes  to  be  spent  instructively. 

"  In  England,  the  tension  between  the  Irish  Na 
tionalists  and  Ulster  has  become  exceedingly  acute  —  " 

"Jap,  dear,  who  is  our  vice-president?"  said  Mrs. 
Lightbody,  relaxing.  "  I  tried  to  remember,  but  —  do 
you  know  ?  —  I  could  n't  to  save  my  life." 

"  William  Jennings  Bryan,"  said  Laracy  solemnly. 

"Of  course."  She  looked  at  him  a  moment  sus 
piciously  and  then  appealed  to  Amy. 

"  Abroad  a  rather  important  bit  of  news  is  an 
nounced  in  the  morning's  papers,"  continued  the  mo 
notonous  tones  on  the  quiet  June  morning.  "  At  Sara 
jevo  the  Archduke  Ferdinand  of  Austria  is  rumored  to 
have  been  assassinated." 

There  was  a  stir  of  surprise.  A  woman's  voice  was 
heard  exclaiming, 

"  I  read  the  papers,  but  I  did  n't  notice  that!  " 

"  Now,  that  is  exciting,"  said  Kitty  Lightbody,  sit 
ting  up.  She  frowned  on  the  incorrigible  Jap,  and  said, 
with  an  admonitory  shake  of  her  head.  "  Behave, 
Jap ;  we  must  concentrate !  " 

But  Laracy  was  not  so  easily  subdued.  A  salad  of 
pink  and  green  trimmings  on  a  platter  of  a  hat  in  front 
of  him  had  caught  his  eye. 

"  It  excites  all  the  little  birdies  on  the  bonnets,"  he 
said,  in  a  whisper.  "  Look  —  look,  how  they  Ye  try 
ing  to  reach  it !  " 

Mrs.  Lightbody  forgot  the  triviality  of  another  as 
sassinated  Archduke  and  began  to  giggle  at  this  banal 
ity.  Thus  encouraged,  Laracy  passed  the  audience  in 
review,  according  to  his  own  peculiar  style  of  wit. 
Amy  glanced  again  at  her  watch.  A  year  ago,  she 
would  have  shared  Kitty's  amusement.  To-day,  she 


250  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

scarcely  gave  ear.  The  antics  of  the  household  pets 
had  no  longer  their  first  charm.  She  had  passed  be 
yond  playing  with  children  into  the  more  dangerous 
need  of  stronger  emotions.  Dawson,  Pardee,  and 
Laracy  and  their  kind  were  still  useful,  but  only  to  fill 
in.  At  length,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  she  sprang  up. 
The  lecture  was  over. 

"  Goodness,  what  awful  names  they  select !  Sara  — 
Sara  —  I  shall  never  get  it,"  said  Kitty  Lightbody. 
She  turned  to  Amy,  who  was  chatting  to  a  group. 
"  Amy  dear,  what  news  of  friend  husband  ?  " 

"  Down  in  Mexico,  of  course,"  said  Mrs.  Forrester, 
lightly.  She  turned  on  the  brilliant  red  parasol,  which 
she  held  from  her  to  give  length  to  her  arm  and  free 
the  line  of  her  graceful  body,  and,  knowing  that  the 
pose  was  becoming,  she  held  it  a  little  longer  while  ex 
claiming  to  the  group  of  women  whose  eyes  devoured 
greedily  the  Gainsborough  hat  and  the  flowing  line  of 
her  new  gray  taffeta  dress,  "  Oh,  I  'm  getting  used  to 
the  role  of  a  neglected  wife.  We  all  come  to  it,  don't 
we?" 

But  suddenly  remembering  her  engagement,  she 
freed  herself  from  the  group  and  linked  arms  with 
Mrs.  Dellabarre. 

"  Irma,  really,  can't  you  arrange  to  come  ?  "  she  said, 
in  final  entreaty. 

"  I  would  if  I  could,  my  dear,"  said  Irma,  shaking 
her  head.  "  It 's  quite  impossible  for  me  to  leave  the 
house  to-day.  I  must  be  there  when  the  doctor  comes 
to  see  Doris." 

"  It  '11  be  gorgeous  running  back  in  the  moonlight." 

"  I  know  —  don't  make  it  harder." 

"  But  that  leaves  us  with  an  extra  man,"  said  Amy, 
frowning. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  251 

"  Don't  worry;  Kitty  '11  take  care  of  two,"  said  Irma, 
with  a  smile. 

"  She  won't  go  because  I  've  taken  Monte  away 
from  her/'  thought  Amy,  noticing  the  smile.  Aloud, 
she  said :  "  It 's  not  a  twos-ing  party  at  all.  We  keep 
together!"  She  turned  to  Mrs.  Lightbody,  "Well, 
if  we  're  going  to  make  New  York  for  lunch,  we  must 
be  off.  All  the  same,"  she  thought,  as  they  passed  into 
the  glare  of  the  sun  and  made  their  way  down  the 
dock,  "  it 's  going  to  be  a  bore  having  an  extra  man. 
The  extra  man,  of  course,  was  Tody  Dawson. 

"  I  don't  believe  Doris  is  ill  at  all,"  said  Kitty,  link 
ing  arms  with  her. 

"  Nor  I." 

"  She  's  done  it  on  purpose,"  said  Mrs.  Lightbody, 
with  a  convinced  nod.  "  Unless  —  unless  it 's  a  ques 
tion  of  Rudy.  He  's  been  in  a  dreadful  state  lately, 
have  you  noticed?" 

"  I  've  a  mind  to  leave  Tody  behind,"  said  Amy  pen 
sively. 

"Oh,  my  dear,  it  would  break  the  poor  boy's 
heart!"  said  Kitty  instantly.  "His  nose  is  out  of 
joint  as  it  is." 

"  He  's  going  to  be  dreadfully  in  the  way.  You  will 
have  to  look  after  him." 

"  Don't  worry,  my  dear ;  I  know  my  role !  "  said 
Kitty,  laughing. 

At  this  moment,  Dawson,  as  though  divining  her 
thoughts,  came  up. 

"  I  say,  Amy,  if  Irma  's  backed  out,  I  '11  walk  the 
plank  if  you  say  the  word." 

The  look  of  entreaty  in  his  eyes,  the  perfect  docility 
of  his  attitude  moved  her  to  compassion. 

"  Poor  boy,  he  's  still  dreadfully  in  love  with  me," 


252  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

she  thought,  and  aloud  she  added,  "  No,  indeed.  Tody ; 
would  n't  leave  you  out  for  the  world." 

At  the  smile  with  which  she  favored  him,  his  face 
lighted  up.  A  moment  before,  the  sky  was  tumbling 
down.  Now,  just  to  be  near  her,  to  watch  her  covertly 
from  a  distance,  to  hear  the  sound  of  her  voice  and  fill 
his  eyes  with  her  loveliness,  changed  the  face  of  the 
world. 

"  By  George,  you  are  a  trump,  you  are !  "  he  said  in 
coherently,  and  he  went  hastily  up  the  dock.  He 
adored  her  as  a  pagan  worships,  with  his  head  to  the 
soil.  No  woman  could  be  so  angelic,  no  woman! 

Monte  Bracken,  in  white  flannels,  was  at  the  gang 
way  of  the  speedy  little  motor-yacht  that  had  its  red- 
and-white  awnings  out.  The  next  moment,  they  were 
lounging  in  lazy,  cushioned  chairs,  the  spray  curling 
whitely  at  their  sides,  rushing  across  the  mackerel 
waters  to  New  York. 


II 

AMY  FORRESTER,  like  most  women  of  her 
bringing  up,  had  dramatic  moments  of  good  im 
pulses  which  surprised  even  herself,  but  these  once 
over,  the  old  habits  of  irresponsibility  and  self-in 
dulgence  resumed  their  sway.  Old  habits  led  her 
to  satisfy  her  desires  without  further  tax  on  her 
conscience  than  the  need  of  deceiving  herself  as  to 
her  motive.  She  wished  to  see  Monte  Bracken,  so 
she  easily  persuaded  herself  that  the  new  intimacy 
which  developed  was  in  reality  working  for  his  hap 
piness  and  the  interests  of  Fifi  Nordstrum.  But, 
a  week  before,  that  independent  young  lady  clari 
fied  the  situation  by  announcing  her  engagement  to  a 
Western  engineer  without  a  cent  or  a  social  connec 
tion,  sublimely  confident  in  his  own  star  —  a  convic 
tion  which  Fifi  cheerfully  shared.  After  her  surprise 
had  subsided,  Amy  was  well-enough  pleased  with  this 
denouement.  She  had  performed  her  whole  duty,  and 
she  was  now  absolved.  Monte  Bracken  in  future 
would  be  on  the  basis  of  any  other  attractive  man  of 
the  world,  forewarned  of  the  terms  and  limitations  of 
the  intimacy  permitted. 

A  certain  stiffness  settled  on  the  party,  despite  the 
determined  efforts  of  Kitty  Lightbody  and  the  usual 
minstrel  patter  of  Jap  Laracy  and  Tody  Dawson.  It 
had  neither  the  intimacy  of  a  tete-a-tete  nor  the  oppor 
tunities  of  a  crowd.  Bracken  was  in  bad  humor;  the 


254  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

conversation  plainly  bored  him  and,  having  no  inten 
tion  of  descending  to  its  level,  he  retired  behind  his 
cigar.  Amy  shared  his  impatience.  It  was  not  thus 
that  she  had  looked  forward  to  this  excursion.  Tody 
Dawson,  knowing  himself  in  a  false  position,  floun 
dered  on  heavily,  seeking  to  conciliate  Amy  by  being 
amusing  without  perceiving  how  much  he  bored  her. 
At  such  moments,  the  gentlest  of  women  are  capable 
of  a  refinement  of  cruelty. 

"  Really,  Tody,"  she  said,  with  a  shrug  of  her  shoul 
ders,  "  if  you  are  going  to  be  amusing,  you  must  learn 
some  new  tricks.  Those  jokes  are  very  old.  I  know 
them  by  heart." 

Tody  Dawson's  face  went  blank  under  the  reproof. 

"  It  's  too  far  to  swim,"  he  said,  glancing  at  the  dis 
tant  shore  with  an  attempt  to  cover  up  his  misery.  He 
turned  up  his  collar  and  said,  with  a  submissive  bow : 
"  I  *m  crushed.  Put  me  in  a  corner  and  punish  me." 

He  went  up  forward  in  gloomy  dignity  where,  in  a 
moment,  Kitty  Lightbody,  after  an  exchange  of 
glances  with  Amy,  went  to  console  him  with  Jap 
Laracy. 

"  Now,  I  suppose  I  Ve  hurt  his  feelings,"  said  Amy, 
"  but  really  those  boys  do  get  on  my  nerves  some 
times." 

Bracken's  good  humor  returned  instantly. 

"  No  great  harm 's  done.  They  '11  amuse  them 
selves."  He  drew  up  his  chair  by  hers.  "  I  can't  abide 
the  type.  Have  n't  you  progressed  beyond  them?  " 

"  It 's  rather  hard  to  drop  them  all  at  once,"  she  said 
pensively,  "  and  they  are  so  convenient." 

He  looked  at  her,  his  amusement  returning  as  his 
ill-humor  cleared. 

"  Yes ;  of  course  they  are  convenient,"  he  agreed. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  255 

"  I  suppose  they  fill  a  place  in  the  lives  of  you  women 
that  real  men  could  not.  We  ought  to  be  grateful  for 
that" 

"  Are  you  in  a  very  bad  humor,  Monte?  "  she  said, 
glancing  up  at  him.  In  the  last  month  they  had  pro 
gressed  to  the  intimacy  of  their  first  names. 

"  Not  now.  Can't  we  manage  to  lose  them  in  town 
somehow  ? "  he  said  suddenly.  "  The  ride  home 
ought  n't  to  be  spoiled." 

She  shook  her  head  slowly. 

"A  sailor  and  a  butler  are  chaperons  enough  surely !" 

".No;  I  can't  do  that,"  she  answered  firmly.  She 
had  often,  in  self-defense,  fallen  back  on  her  intention 
to  remain  a  virtuous  wife.  The  phrase  flashed  into 
her  mind,  but  she  decided  not  to  employ  it  on  Monte. 
Instead,  she  added  decidedly,  "  I  won't  be  talked 
about." 

"  You  're  a  strange  person,"  he  said  impatiently. 

"  I  'm  like  that,"  she  said  quietly.  "  You  know  my 
ideas." 

"  At  the  bottom,"  he  said  rebelliously,  "  I  believe  one 
man  is  just  the  same  to  you  as  another.  Despite  all 
you  say  about  the  Tody  Dawsons  in  this  world  —  " 

"  Well?  "  she  said,  as  he  stopped. 

rt  Total  docility  and  innocuousness  are  quite  suffi 
cient." 

She  laughed. 

"  I  give  you  permission  to  abuse  me." 

Monte  Bracken  had  returned  into  her  life  at  a  criti 
cal  moment.  It  was  not  that  she  was  tired  of  society, 
but  that  she  was  momentarily  tired  by  it.  The  dra 
matic  thrill  of  her  personal  triumph  at  the  Versailles 
fete  had  been  the  climax  of  her  season.  After  those 
dazzling  hours,  everything  else  seemed  tame  in  com- 


256  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

parison.  She  had  felt  let  down.  A  new  mental  pro 
gression  had  come  —  that  moment  which  arrives  to 
every  brilliant  woman.  In  the  whole  world,  nothing, 
for  the  moment,  interested  her  so  much  as  herself. 
She  wanted  to  annex  Monte  Bracken,  because  she  felt 
the  need  of  some  superior  mind,  capable  of  under 
standing  her,  of  explaining  her,  and  of  admiring  her 
completely,  even  to  the  smallest  trifles  which  escaped 
the  ordinary  eye.  Whether  Bracken  flattered  her  or 
humorously  dissected  her,  her  interest  was  always  the 
same  —  as  long  as  the  subject  discussed  was  herself. 
Perhaps,  if  anything,  she  liked  him  in  his  savage 
moods,  for  then,  underneath  his  sarcasm,  she  divined 
how  completely  she  had  established  her  empire  over  his 
imagination. 

"  I  can  understand  Kitty  Lightbody  turkey-trotting 
through  life,  but  I  can't  understand  you,"  he  began, 
assuming  a  tone  of  raillery  which  she  disliked  because 
to  her,  like  most  women,  it  was  the  only  male  weapon 
she  feared.  "  Are  you  going  to  be  contented  with 
nibbling  at  life?  Women  like  that  have  only  passions 
for  great  emotions  like  ping-pong,  bridge,  the  tango, 
ice-skating." 

"And  I?" 

"  I  wonder." 

'  You  warned  me  once  I  was  not  like  that." 

"  Yes ;  I  gave  you  credit  for  a  heart,"  he  said, 
smiling. 

"And  now?"  she  asked,  drawing  back  and  half 
veiling  her  face  with  the  collar  of  her  golden  polo  coat. 
There  were  times  when  she  found  it  difficult  to  face 
him. 

He  looked  into  her  eyes  steadily  until,  at  last,  she 
turned  hers  away.  Then  he  said  quietly, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  257 

"  I  still  believe  it." 

"  That  I  still  have  a  heart  —  after  all  the  bad  things 
you  believe  of  me?  "  she  said,  raising  her  eyebrows  to 
their  characteristic  angle.  "  And  you  ?  " 

"  Too  much,"  he  said,  with  a  laugh.  "  Some  day, 
I  '11  make  a  confession." 

"  It 's  such  fun  to  play  with  you,  Monte,"  she  said 
brightly.  "  And  now,  please,  say  some  nice  things  to 
me.  No  one  can  say  them  so  nicely  as  you." 

'  To-night  —  if  we  are  alone." 

"No,  no  —  and  no!"  she  said,  so  delighted  to  re 
fuse  him  that  she  punctuated  each  rising  negation  with 
a  tap  of  her  parasol. 

"  What  a  strange  emotion  it  would  be  to  you,"  he 
said  in  the  same  light  tone,  "  to  do  just  one  thing  you 
wanted  to  do  —  one  thing  unconventional  —  to  dare 
once !  " 

"  Undoubtedly,  but  I  don't  intend  to  do  it,"  she  said 
complacently.  She  looked  at  him  a  moment  and  said, 
"  Were  you  very  much  in  love  with  Irma?  " 

"  I  tried  to  be." 

"  I  don't  think  she  's  ever  gotten  over  it." 

'  You  mean  she 's  not  gotten  over  my  getting 
over  it." 

"  Do  you  suppose  that 's  the  reason  she  would  n't 
come  to-day  ?  "  she  said,  looking  down  at  the  tip  of 
her  red  parasol  and  thinking  of  the  compact  she  had 
once  sworn  not  to  trespass. 

"  Dellabarre  's  in  a  bad  state." 

"  Really?    But  he  's  always  been,  has  n't  he?  " 

"  Not  like  at  present." 

She  felt  the  conversation  was  slipping  from  the  sub 
ject  which  interested  her.  She  glanced  out  over  the 
flurried  back  of  the  Sound.  Far  off,  the  low  outline 


258  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

against  the  horizon  was  growing  out  of  the  gray  void, 
the  tiny  towers  of  New  York,  shooting  up  like  reeds 
emerging  from  the  water.  Another  boat  or  two 
breasted  the  foam  and  cut  sharp  trails;  a  yawl  with 
brilliant  sails  stood  out  in  dazzling  whiteness  against 
the  infinity  of  blue.  All  at  once,  the  prospect  of  the 
matinee  ahead  lost  its  anticipated  zest. 

"  Somehow,  going  into  a  stuffy  theater  does  n't 
appeal  to  me,"  she  said  dreamily. 

"Why  do  it,  then?" 

She  glanced  ahead  significantly. 

"  There  are  others." 

This  time,  he  suggested  no  alternative. 

"  You  said  something  rather  puzzling  a  moment 
ago,"  she  began  slowly,  leaning  over  the  rail  and  flirt 
ing  with  the  swirl  of  the  cleft  waters,  one  hand 
extended. 

"What?" 

"  You  said  you  tried  to  be  in  love  with  Irma.  Why 
tried?  " 

11  Because  I  am  a  great  comedian  —  though  I  don't 
know  it  at  the  time." 

He  had  the  instinctive  sense  of  drawing  women  on 
without  seeming  to  make  any  effort  to  attract  them. 
He  was  in  love  and  he  knew  it,  though  he  still  was 
ignorant  as  to  the  extent  to 'which  he  had  let  himself 
go.  He  felt  that  he  had  played  too  easily  into  her  hand 
by  giving  her  the  opportunity  to  refuse  his  request,  and 
he  determined  to  regain  his  supremacy. 

Amy  glanced  at  the  group  in  the  bow.  Tody  Daw- 
son  was  covertly  watching  them.  She  shifted  her 
chair  to  shut  him  out,  rested  her  chin  on  her  hand,  and 
said, 

"  Why  do  you  tell  me  that?  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  259 

"  Just  to  play  fair,"  he  said  carelessly.  "  We  are 
both  much  alike  —  rather  irresponsible  children." 

"  Go  on." 

"  You  really  want  me  to  blacken  myself  ?  " 

"  I  am  interested." 

"  You  say  I  play  well.  I  do.  I  have  too  much 
curiosity,  I  suppose,  to  be  really  able  to  love.  I  am 
curious  about  women.  I  want  to  delve  into  their  minds 
and,  when  I  have  done  so,  I  end  by  being  disillusioned. 
I  fool  myself.  I  always  have,  and  I  probably  always 
shall.  That 's  why  I  say  I  am  a  great  comedian." 

"  And  you  have  nothing  on  your  conscience  ?  " 

"  No.  I  think  I  understand  the  sort  of  women  I  am 
thrown  with.  They  want  to  be  amused  until  dinner 
time,"  he  added,  smiling.  "  Women  of  the  world,  if 
you  wish,  but  without  depth  to  hold  a  real  wound.  I 
come  into  their  life  —  in  their  need  of  amusement  — 
on  the  same  basis  as  their  dressmaker,  the  cabaret,  or 
a  new  variety  of  Pekingese.  Some  men  are  deceived 
by  looking  into  their  eyes.  I  'm  not.  Sometimes,"  he 
added,  with  gathering  amusement  in  his  eyes,  "  some 
times  in  a  humorous  way  I  like  to  consider  myself  as 
an  avenger  of  my  sex.  Very  conceited,  is  n't  it  ?  But 
awfully  frank.  Now  you  know  the  worst  about  me." 

She  perceived  that,  under  pretense  of  confession,  he 
had  been  amusing  himself  with  a  description  of  herself. 

"  I  don't  like  you  when  you  are  ironical,"  she  said, 
when  he  had  glanced  at  her  for  her  verdict.  She  rose 
and  summoned  Kitty  Lightbody  and  the  boys,  to  whom 
she  made  amends  by  being  particularly  gracious.  But 
during  the  matinee  she  was  so  bored  that  when  Kitty 
alleged  the  need  of  an  errand,  she  accepted  the  excuse 
gratefully  and  they  separated  to  meet  at  Lazare's  for 
tea. 


260  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Shall  we  go  there  directly?  "  he  asked. 

She  hesitated. 

"  I  'd  like  a  bit  of  fresh  air.  The  theater  was  dread 
fully  close." 

He  called  a  taxi,  assuming  to  have  understood  her 
wish. 

"  Twenty  minutes'  run  in  the  Park.  We  '11  be  the 
first  at  that." 

He  helped  her  in,  took  his  place,  and  waited  for  her 
to  decide  the  note  of  the  evening.  She  looked  up, 
caught  his  waiting  expression,  and,  despite  her  first 
intention,  began  to  laugh. 

"  War  or  peace?  "  he  asked,  relaxing. 

"  You  can  be  so  horrid,"  she  said,  pouting. 

"  Don't  try  to  be  the  conventional  coquette  then," 
he  took  up  instantly.  "  You  're  much  nicer  than  that." 

She  turned  jaway  hastily  to  hide  her  smile.  Then, 
after  a  moment,  she  said  gravely, 

"  Are  you  always  such  a  great  comedian  ?  " 

"  I  believe  so,"  he  answered  solemnly. 

"  But  I  could  n't  go  home  with  you  alone  to-night," 
she  protested. 

"Of  course  not  —  I  only  objected  to  the  way  you 
refused." 

"What  was  wrong?" 

"  You  should  have  answered,  '  I  can't,  but  I  'm 
dying  to  do  it.' ' 

"  Well,  but  that 's  true,"  she  said  frankly. 

When  they  reached  Lazare's,  Amy  was  in  a  mis 
chievous  good  humor.  Daughter  of  Eve,  the  taste  of 
stolen  fruits  was  sweet. 

"  I  hope  they  '11  be  late,"  she  said,  with  shining  eyes. 

"  Amen." 

Lazare's    was    already    well    filled.      They    passed 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  261 

among  the  tables  in  the  central  hall,  seeking  a  quiet 
corner.  All  at  once,  Amy  stopped,  with  an  exclama 
tion.  Ahead  down  the  aisle,  directly  facing  her,  was 
Irma  Dellabarre. 

"  Monte,  do  you  see  her?  " 

"Irma?    Yes." 

"The  wretch!  That's  what  she's  up  to!"  she 
cried,  delighted.  "  Well,  this  time,  I  've  caught  her!  " 

She  hurried  ahead  with  merry  eyes,  her  curiosity 
bubbling  over.  The  next  moment,  she  stopped,  in 
capable  of  word  or  movement.  The  man  whose  back 
was  toward  her  was  Andrew  —  her  husband. 


Ill 

TO  go  forward  and  find  some  glib  word  of  greet 
ing,  to  master  herself  and  hide  the  rushing  con 
sternation  which  swept  over  her  seemed  impossible, 
and  yet  she  did  it.  The  shock  was  too  unexpected,  the 
situation  too  inexplicable  for  her  to  comprehend  it. 
What  she  did  comprehend  was  that  she  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  hundred  acquaintances  who  were  watching 
her  and  that  a  false  step  meant  a  public  scandal.  She 
felt  the  leaping  heat  in  her  cheeks  and  .her  voice 
sounded  strange  to  her  ears,  but  she  went  on,  and  said 
cordially, 

"  Well,  this  is  a  surprise ! "  Then  she  added  in 
coherently,  "  How  are  you  ?  " 

Irma  Dellabarre  was  quite  self-possessed. 

"It  looks  terribly  dramatic,  doesn't  it?"  she  said, 
smiling,  "  but  it 's  quite  simple.  I  came  in,  after  all, 
and  the  first  person  I  should  meet  was  Andrew." 

"  Of  course,  my  dear !  " 

She  knew  it  was  a  lie,  and,  despite  herself,  momen 
tarily  she  gave  a  note  of  scorn  to  the  exclamation. 
But  instantly  she  caught  herself.  Husband  and  wife 
looked  at  each  other,  each  cut  to  the  quick  at  the 
humiliation  they  had  to  stand  and  take  unflinchingly 
before  these  sudden  strangers. 

"  I  did  not  expect  you,"  she  said,  to  say  something, 
and  she  looked  at  him  in  order  not  to  look  at  Irma. 
"  Are  you  coming  out  -to  Chilton  ?  " 


* 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  263 

"  Perhaps,"  he  said  coldly,  looking  at  her  steadily. 
"  I  thought  you  were  in  a  party." 

"  Yes,  we  are,"  she  said  slowly.  To  stay  longer 
was  humanly  impossible.  "  Well  then,  I  may  see  you 
—  at  Chilton  ?  "  She  nodded  and  went  down  a  ways 
to  where  the  head  waiter  was  standing  at  a  table  for 
two. 

"  Table  for  five,  please,"  she  said  sharply,  mistress 
of  herself  as  she  had  been  the  night  of  the  fete,  when 
Tody  Dawson  had  blundered  in  the  minuet.  She  saw 
some  one  bowing  to  her  in  the  haze  of  things,  and 
bowed  with  a  smile  in  the  general  direction. 

"  Sit  down  here,"  said  Monte  Bracken's  voice.  She 
took  the  chair  he  indicated,  with  her  back  to  her  hus 
band,  and  drew  off  her  gloves  slowly,  a  mist  before  her 
eyes.  The  waiter  stood  at  her  side  for  his  orders.  She 
was  not  aware  of  his  presence. 

"  Tea  and  buttered  toast  for  two,"  said  Bracken 
quickly.  "  Or  —  no  —  might  as  well  make  it  for  five, 
Philip,"  he  added,  summoning  the  head  waiter,  who 
knew  him.  "  Leave  word  at  the  door  where  we  are. 
Mrs.  Lightbody  will  join  us." 

Then  he  sat  down. 

"  Talk  to  me,"  she  said.     "  Keep  talking  to  me." 

Gradually,  under  the  pleasant  sound  of  words  which 
she  did  not  comprehend,  she  regained  her  self-control. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  drawing  a  long  breath,  but 
her  eyes  remained  on  her  plate.  "  It 's  strange  Kitty 
does  n't  come.  What  time  is  it  ?  " 

"  Half-past  five." 

Not  for  an  instant  had  she  the  slightest  doubt  that 
Irma  had  lied  to  her.  She  had  seen  the  truth  in 
Andrew's  eyes  in  that  bitter  moment  of  mutual  hu 
miliation.  How  long  had  it  been  going  on  ?  All  her 


264  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

anger  was  directed  toward  the  woman.  Yes;  she  had 
taken  her  revenge  threefold ! 

"  She  was  n't  embarrassed  at  all,"  she  thought 
bitterly.  "  Quite  delighted,  of  course." 

"Tea  now?" 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  don't  come,"  she  said 
nervously. 

"  Kitty  never  is  on  time,  you  know." 

"Yes;  but  I  want  them  to  come,"  she  said  dully. 
Andrew  must  see  all  the  difference  that  existed  be 
tween  his  situation  and  hers. 

"  They  may  be  waiting  outside.     Shall  I  see  ?  " 

"  Please." 

She  thought  of  the  anger  she  had  shown  in  the  first 
shocked  moment  of  recognition.  That  had  been  a 
mistake.  It  had  only  played  into  Irma's  hands.  She 
should  have  stayed  and  shown  her  indifference,  treated 
the  situation  with  lightness,  covered  up  the  wound  to 
her  vanity.  What  a  delicious  revenge  she  had  given 
Irma! 

"  What  a  fool  I  was !  "  she  said  angrily.  "  But  she 
shan't  have  him  alone." 

To  be  forced  to  continue  her  little  game  under  the 
eye  of  the  wife  would  be  the  last  thing  Irma  would 
relish. 

"  She  shan't  have  things  her  own  way,"  she  said 
determinedly,  and  rose.  The  thing  to  do  was  to  accept 
Irma's  declaration  that  the  meeting  had  been  acci 
dental,  and  force  them,  under  appearance  of  cordiality, 
to  join  the  party.  To  her  consternation,  when  she 
turned  their  table  was  empty.  She  was  still  standing 
when  Monte  Bracken  returned. 

"  I  am  sorry  —  they  have  n't  turned  up." 

"  It  does  n't  matter  now,"  she  said  abruptly. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  265 

He  glanced  at  her  brilliant  eyes  and  feverish  cheeks, 
wondering  just  what  to  offer. 

"  I  'm  afraid  they  won't  come  at  all,"  he  said  slowly. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  from  the  first  he  had  never 
expected  that  they  would  turn  up. 

"  It  does  n't  matter,"  she  said  impatiently. 

"  Curious  thing,"  he  said,  frowning.  "  Do  you 
know  whom  I  thought  I  saw  just  now?  Rudy 
himself!" 

"  But  he  's  in  Chilton,"  she  said,  answering  him 
mechanically. 

"  He  was  this  morning,"  he  replied  thoughtfully. 

Her  imagination  was  racing.  At  one  moment,  she 
repeated  to  herself  what  she  should  have  said  to  them 
in  the  first  moment  of  her  surprise.  The  next,  it 
jumped  to  the  future,  constructing  the  scene  of  her 
reproaches  to  Irma  —  the  way  she  should  demand  an 
explanation  from  Andrew.  The  next  moment,  she 
switched  to  the  past  with  feverish  alarm,  seeking  some 
remembered  indications  which  could  clarify  the  present 
unbelievable  revelation.  Andrew  —  Andrew  of  all 
men !  She  could  believe  all  things  but  that ! 

"  I  'm  afraid  the  others  have  gone  off  on  their  own 
boat,"  he  repeated.  "  What  do  you  want  to  do  ?  " 

She  passed  her  hand  hastily  over  her  forehead, 
touched  her  lips  to  a  glass  of  cold  water,  and  said, 

"  If  you  don't  mind,  Monte,  I  think  I  'd  rather  have 
a  bite  to  eat  now  and  go  right  home.  I  'm  sorry  to  be 
so  stupid." 

"  Do  anything  you  like,"  he  said  hastily,  moved  by 
the  suffering  in  her  eyes.  "  We  can  dine  here  and  go 
back  by  the  train?  " 

"  By  the  train  ?  "  she  said,  perplexed.  "  And  why 
not  by  the  boat?" 


266  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  I  prefer  not,  Amy,"  he  said  kindly. 

"  Oh,  I  see  what  you  think,"  she  said  slowly. 

They  ate  their  dinner  rapidly.  He  saw  her  per 
turbation  and  refrained  from  addressing  her.  When 
the  meal  was  ended,  she  said,  out  of  a  clear  sky, 

"  I  prefer  to  return  in  the  yacht." 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  You  are  not  in  a  mood  to  decide,"  he  said  gently. 
"  I  don't  want  you  to  do  a  thing  you  '11  regret." 

"  You  don't  understand  the  situation,"  she  said, 
looking  at  him.  "  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  Andrew. 
My  husband  and  I  have  been  nothing  to  each  other 
for  months." 

"  Are  you  sure?  "  he  said  gravely. 

"  Quite.  Yes ;  I  am  upset,  mortified,  hurt,  but  it 's 
not  on  his  account.  It 's  —  it 's  to  be  deceived  by  her." 

"  Really,  I  had  rather  we  did  not  go  back,  alone," 
he  said  frowning. 

"But  if  I  wish  it?" 

"  Very  well." 

She  glanced  at  him. 

"  You  are  not  annoyed  at  me  ?  " 

"  I  could  n't  be." 

"  Please  don't  be  annoyed,  Monte  —  whatever  I  do." 

In  the  antechamber,  an  idea  came  to  him.  He 
stepped  in  the  cafe  for  a  quick  glance.  He  had  not 
been  mistaken.  At.  a  corner  table,  huddled  over  his 
glass,  was  Rudolph  Dellabarre. 


IV 

ANDREW  was  already  home,  in  the  broad,  gabled 
cottage  he  had  taken  for  the  summer.  By  the 
time  they  made  the  landing,  she  had  not  the  slightest 
doubt  that  he  would  be  there.  Irma  would  have  seen 
to  that.  If  she  had  any  one  to  thank  for  even  this 
momentary  return,  it  was  the  woman's  need  of  safe 
guarding  appearances.  She  gave  her  hand  hurriedly 
to  Monte  Bracken. 

:t  You  are  very  kind,"  she  said  gratefully.  "  Good 
night  —  and  I  shan't  forget  how  you  've  been." 

"  I  will  do  anything  I  can  —  at  any  time  —  for 
your  happiness,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

He  sprang  back  on  the  deck ;  the  yacht  backed  out, 
and  she  watched  it  glide  over  the  silky  waters.  At 
the  bow,  silhouetted  against  the  tapestry  of  stars,  his 
dark  figure  continued  standing,  still  looking  back  at 
her.  He  had  been  very  much  of  a  gentleman,  tactful 
and  respecting  her  reticence,  the  true  Monte  Bracken 
of  the  finer  metal  that  occasionally  flashed  out  below 
the  adroit  and  brilliant  flaneur  of  the  world.  He  had 
left  her  in  long  silence  to  the  tumult  of  her  own 
emotions. 

"  It 's  Irma  —  Irma  I  can't  forgive,"  she  repeated 
to  herself  dully,  in  long  contemplation,  as  the  shadowy 
goblin  palaces  of  New  York,  the  fiery  lacework  of 
vaulted  bridges,  the  crowded  throngs  of  electric  lights 
fell  behind  and  sank  into  the  waters  of  the  night. 


268  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

Across  the  bay,  a  few  sentinel-lights  followed  their 
shooting  progress  —  faint  and  distant  as  all  mankind 
in  the  complexity  of  the  stars  which  hung  from  the 
firmament  above  her  and  swam  up  from  the  deeps 
below.  What  did  she  really  feel?  Was  it  only  the 
treachery  of  a  friend?  At  times,  she  had  felt  the 
tears  wet  on  her  cheeks  —  tears  of  bitter  disillusions, 
she  had  told  herself. 

The  veranda  and  the  parlor  were  ablaze  as  she  came 
slowly  from  the  pier. 

"  Mrs.  Lightbody  and  the  others  will  be  home  later," 
she  said  to  Gregory. 

"  Mr.  Forrester  has  arrived,  madam." 

"  Mr.  Forrester  ?    How  long  has  he  been  home  ?  " 

"  About  an  hour,  madam." 

She  waited  a  moment,  half  expecting  some  message 
from  her  husband,  a  demand  for  an  interview,  and 
then  went  up  to  her  room,  dismissing  Morley  as  soon 
as  she  had  removed  her  hat  and  ulster.  Would  he 
come  to  her?  The  odor  of  tobacco  was  in  the  upper 
hall.  He  was  awake. 

At  the  end  of  ten  minutes,  which  seemed  an  inter 
minable  hour,  she  made  up  her  mind  suddenly  and 
going  to  his  door  knocked. 

"  Who  's  there  ?  "  said  her  husband's  voice. 

"  It  is  I." 

"  One  moment."  She  heard  him  moving  hurriedly 
inside.  "  All  right  now.  Come  in." 

She  entered.  He  had  been  in  his  shirt-sleeves  at 
his  desk  and  had  stopped  to  slip  into  a  dressing-gown. 
A  year  ago,  he  would  never  have  thought  of  that. 

"  Come  in,"  he  repeated  calmly.  "  Room  's  pretty 
heavy  with  smoke.  I  '11  open  a  window  a  moment." 

She  stood  by  the  door,  watching  him  uneasily. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  269 

"  Why,  he  is  n't  angry  at  all,"  she  thought,  troubled, 
"  unless  he  is  concealing  it  very  well." 

He  closed  the  window,  but,  perceiving  the  lighted 
cigar  on  the  desk,  crossed  over. 

"  I  'd  better  get  rid  of  this,  too,  I  suppose,"  he  said, 
tossing  it  into  the  fireplace. 

She  felt  like  screaming  out, 

"  Good  heavens,  don't  be  polite!  " 

But  she  controlled  herself  and  murmured,  "  Thank 
you." 

Whatever  happened,  she  was  determined  he  should 
not  have  the  satisfaction  of  perceiving  the  slightest 
trace  of  irritation.  She  refused  the  chair  he  indicated 
—  to  remain  still  was  impossible  —  and  going  to  the 
mantelpiece,  she  rested  her  arm  on  the  ledge  in  an  atti 
tude  of  coquetry  which  had  become  unconscious. 

"  I  did  n't  expect  you  back  before  the  end  of  the 
month,"  she  began  lightly. 

'''  Yes ;  I  got  off  earlier  than  I  expected." 

"  Then  things  are  going  better  ?  " 

"  In  a  way  —  thank  you." 

"  I  am  always  glad  to  know  something  of  your 
affairs,"  she  said  quietly. 

He  threw  himself  into  an  armchair,  crossed  his  legs, 
caged  his  hands  and  looked  at  her. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  left  Lazare's  so  quickly.  I  wanted 
you  to  come  back  with  us." 

He  did  not  reply. 

"  It  was  a  wonderful  trip ;  the  night  was  heavenly. 
I  don't  know  when  I  've  ever  seen  the  stars  so  beauti 
ful,"  she  added,  trying  to  rouse  his  jealousy.  "  I  am 
sorry  you  missed  it  —  particularly  because  Kitty  went 
off  on  some  wild  spree  and  I  did  n't  want  to  come  back 
alone  with  Monte." 


270  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"Why  not?" 

The  simple  question  threw  her  into  confusion. 

"  On  account  of  appearances,  of  course.  I  prefer 
not  to  be  talked  about  like  some  other  wives  we  both 
know." 

"  I  see." 

"  I  am  getting  nowhere,"  she  thought,  before  the 
calm  of  his  attitude.  How  long  had  this  intimacy 
with  Irma  been  going  on,  and  how  serious  was  it? 
These  were  two  things  she  must  learn  at  all  costs. 

"  So  you  have  suddenly  blossomed  out  into  a  lady- 
killer?"  she  said,  smiling  at  him. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon." 

"  So  you  are  having  a  flirtation  with  Irma  Della- 
barre,"  she  said,  holding  the  smile  with  an  effort.  She 
felt  that  she  had  her  emotions  under  perfect  control, 
but  to  him  her  eyes  shone  out  like  angry  coals. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  discuss  Mrs.  Dellabarre,"  he 
said  coldly. 

"  You  won't  pretend  that  her  ridiculous  story  of 
meeting  you  by  accident  was  the  truth !  "  she  burst  out, 
all  restraint  gone. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  discuss,"  he  said  precisely. 

"  No,  I  should  say  not,  because  you  know  she  told  a 
lie  and  a  stupid  lie,"  she  cried,  in  a  passion.  She  was 
convinced  that  Irma  had  lied,  but  she  wanted  to  know 
if  he  would  go  to  the  extent  of  a  lie.  "  Whatever  I 
do,  I  do  openly.  I  don't  need  to  hide  it.  I  don't  —  " 
She  stopped.  Her  voice  was  shaking,  and  her  eyes 
dangerously  filled  with  tears.  In  a  moment,  she  con 
tinued  bitterly,  but  with  more  calm,  "  I  hope  you  en 
joyed  the  mortification  and  the  shame  of  our  meeting 
like  that  —  being  humiliated  before  others." 

"  What  do  you  objeet  to?  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  271 

"  I  object  to  deceit  —  to  underhand  methods,  to  a 
woman  who  pretends  to  be  my  friend  in  public!  "  she 
flashed  out. 

"  Oh,  that 's  it,"  he  said  thoughtfully.  "  You,  of 
course,  don't  object  to  my  friendship  with  another 
woman." 

"  Friendship !  "  she  exclaimed  angrily.  "  You 
need  n't  tell  me  it 's  just  friendship.  You  're  not  that 
kind.  If  you  see  a  woman  like  Irma,  it 's  because 
you  're  interested  —  really  interested.  You  are  not  a 
society  hanger-on,  indulging  in  light  flirtations." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  distinction." 

"  No ;  you  care,  and  you  care  a  great  deal !  "  she 
rushed  on.  She  felt  that  she  was  showing  her  worst 
side,  but  she  could  no  longer  restrain  the  passion  of 
wounded  vanity,  jealousy,  and  anger  which  flamed  up. 
"  Well,  at  least  let 's  know  where  we  stand.  How  long 
has  this  been  going  on?  " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  discuss  this,"  he  said  again. 

"  But  I  do  intend,"  she  cried.  "  Can't  you  see  in 
what  a  mortifying,  humiliating  position  you  have 
placed  me  ?  " 

"  I  quite  understand  that  you  resent  being  humili 
ated,"  he  assented.  Then  he  said  gently,  "  Unfortu 
nately,  you  made  the  decision." 

"I?" 

"  You  know  what  I  mean." 

"  Good  heavens,  you  are  not  going  to  drag  in  that 
poor  fool  of  a  Tody  Dawson!  "  she  cried,  every  nerve 
on  edge. 

"  I  am  simply  recalling  to  your  mind,"  he  said,  in  the 
businesslike  preciseness  that  she  hated,  "  that  I  was 
once  as  sensitive  to  being  humiliated  as  you  are  now. 
You  speak  of  appearances.  According  to  appearances, 


272  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

my  servants  had  heard  a  man  tell  me  a  lie  in  my  own 
house.  They  were  free  to  draw  any  conclusions  they 
pleased.  That  was  appearances,  I  believe." 

'  This  can't  go  on !  "  she  said  abruptly,  her  head 
in  a  whirl.     "  Andrew,  we  can't  go  on  like  this." 

"  Probably  not." 

She  left  him  and  walked  to  the  window,  flung  it 
open,  and  closed  it  again. 

"  Listen,  Andrew,"  she  said,  in  another  tone;  "  let 's 
call  quits.  Let 's  begin  all  over  again.  This  sort  of 
life  means  nothing  to  me.  I  am  willing  to  give  up 
seeing  any  man  you  object  to  —  all  men  if  you  ask 
it  —  " 

"  Even  Monte  Bracken,"  he  said  instantly. 

"  Even  Monte  Bracken." 

"  If  I  give  up  seeing  Irma." 

1  That  is,  of  course,  the  condition.  Will  you  start 
fair  ?  Begin  anew  ?  " 

He  was  silent,  looking  at  her  such  a  long  moment 
that  she  grew  restive  under  the  stern  glance. 

"  It  is  n't  any  real  repentance.  It  is  n't  any  real  love 
of  me,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  It  is  just  wounded  van 
ity.  She  will  sacrifice  any  one  or  anything  to  revenge 
herself  on  the  other  woman.  That  is  it." 

"  Well  ?  "  she  said  impatiently. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  What !    I  offer  all  this  and  you  refuse  ?  " 

"  I  refuse." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  Irma  Dellabarre's  friendship  means  a 
great  deal  to  me  in  my  life  and  I  don't  in  the  least 
intend  to  give  it  up." 

"  Ah,  there  now  we  have  it !  "  she  cried.  "  Why 
go  on  pretending.  You  know  you  are  in  love  with 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  273 

Irma  Dellabarre  and  you  believe  she  is  with  you !  I 
knew  it  —  I  knew  it !  " 

"  Amy,  I  have  already  said  to  you,"  he  began,  with 
out  anger,  "  that  I  did  not  intend  to  discuss  Mrs.  Della 
barre,  and  I  won't.  Furthermore,  I  do  not  recognize 
that  I  owe  you  any  explanations  for  my  conduct  or  the 
reasons  for  my  friendship." 

"  I  don't  admit  that!  "  she  cried. 

"  You  will  have  to  admit  that,"  he  took  up  in  the 
same  quiet  tone,  "  because  you  are  the  one  who  has 
brought  this  situation  about." 

"  I  ?  "  she  cried  in  protest,  for,  strange  to  say,  she 
had  not  the  slightest  conception  of  her  own  re 
sponsibility. 

"  You.  I  prefer  not  to  go  into  recriminations  and 
complaints.  It  is  now  too  late  for  that.  You  have 
created  the  situation.  I  have  accepted  it.  In  a  way, 
our  position  is  not  different  from  many  marriages  of 
our  kind.  You  have  had  complete  liberty  and  I  have 
determined  to  have  mine.  I  do  not  intend  at  the  pres 
ent  moment,  just  because  your  vanity  is  wounded,  for 
that 's  all  it  is,  to  change  my  attitude,  because  you 
demand  that  another  woman  should  be  sacrificed.  Go 
your  way  and  don't  interfere  with  mine." 

"  Andrew,"  she  cried  desperately,  "  we  can't  go  on 
like  this!  We  have  got  to  understand  each  other. 
Let  us  tell  each  other  the  truth.  You  don't  love  me  any 
more,  do  you?  " 

"  Naturally  not !  "  he  said,  plainly  surprised  at  the 
question. 

She  had  expected  a  protestation,  grudging,  half 
hearted,  indignant  even,  but  still  a  protestation  of  affec 
tion.  It  had  never  once  occurred  to  her,  even  in  the 
constraint  and  estrangement  of  the  last  months,  that 


274  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

her  husband  could  ever  cease  to  love  her.  She  put  her 
hand  suddenly  to  her  eyes  as  though  the  thing  he  had 
said  was  a  specter  she  could  shut  from  her  sight. 

"  Very  well,"  she  said  slowly,  and  mechanically  she 
repeated,  "  Very  well."  All  the  vitality  of  her  anger 
deserted  her.  She  felt  weary  and  worn,  while  he 
watched  her  curiously,  marveling.  "  That  is  at  least 
frank,"  she  said,  looking  at  him  at  last.  "  Then,  of 
course,  you  are  in  love  with  Irma.  Say  it." 

"  I  prefer  not  to  discuss  that,"  he  said  quietly,  "  but 
I  will  say  this :  If  Irma  Dellabarre  were  free,  knowing 
what  I  do  now,  of  what  marriage  should  be,  of  what 
I  wish  in  a  wife  to  respect  and  cherish,  I  should  be 
honored  if  Mrs.  Dellabarre  would  be  my  wife." 

"  I  understand,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  knew 
it.  I  knew  it  from  the  moment  I  saw  your  eyes.  Well 
—  now  I  know." 

"  Yes ;  now  you  know,"  he  said.  His  glance,  which 
had  never  left  her,  continued  without  passion  on  her. 
"  And  now  that  you  know  —  what  are  you  going  to 
do  about  it?" 

"What?"  she  said,  frowning  and  staring  at  him, 
as  though  she  could  not  translate  his  words  into  her 
comprehension. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  said  slowly.  She  frowned 
again,  staring  at  the  hand  which  lay  on  the  mantel  as 
though  the  whiteness  of  the  skin  had  offended  her  eye. 

"  It  is,  of  course,  for  you  to  decide." 

"How  immovable,  how  hard  you  are!"  she  said, 
her  voice  hardly  intelligible,  and  a  shudder  passed  over 
her  shoulders. 

"  Yes ;  that  is  so,"  he  said  gravely.  "  I  was  willing 
to  give  all  —  I  will  not  give  half-way.  Don't  think  I 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  275 

have  n't  suffered.     I  have.     But  —  I  don't  intend  to 
hash  over  what  is  done." 

'  You  say  for  me  to  go  my  way,"  she  began,  with 
an  effort,  clinging  to  a  last  straw.  "  How  far  do  you 
wish  me  to  go  my  way,  Andrew  ?  " 

"  I  have  said  I  will  accept  any  situation  you  may 
propose,"  he  answered.  "  That  ought  to  be  plain  to 
you.  You  have  your  self-respect.  I  count  on  that. 
You  bear  my  name.  So  long  as  you  continue  to  do  so, 
I  am  confident  that  you  will  treat  it  with  respect." 

She  began  to  shiver.  Her  head  felt  of  lead.  She 
was  alone  —  alone  in  the  immensity  of  the  world. 

"  I  think  —  I  think  I  'd  better  go  to  my  room,"  she 
said  incoherently. 

He  sprang  up  instantly,  as  he  would  have  done  to  a 
stranger.  She  went  blindly  toward  the  door.  But 
all  at  once,  before  the  snapping  of  all  the  links  of  the 
past,  before  the  mystery  beyond,  she  turned  and 
stretched  out  her  hand  toward  him. 

"  Andrew  —  it  can't  be  —  it  can't  be  true!  " 

"  It  is  true,"  he  said  resolutely.  "  To  pretend  would 
only  make  matters  worse.  Don't  deceive  yourself 
either,  Amy  —  you  do  not  love  me ;  you  have  not  loved 
me ;  you  could  not  have  loved  me ! "  he  added,  with 
more  force ;  "  or  it  would  never  have  come  to  this.  Be 
as  honest  to  me  as  I  am  to  you.  That  is  all  I  ask." 

She  bowed  her  head  suddenly  and  went  out.  He 
had  beaten  her  at  every  point. 

When  she  had  left,  he  shut  the  door  carefully.  Then 
he  came  back  to  the  desk  and  buried  his  head  in  his 
hands,  torn  by  the  thought  of  the  suffering  which  he 
had  been  forced  to  inflict  on  the  woman  he  had  loved, 
who,  in  her  moment  of  defeat,  had  looked  at  him  with 
the  wounded  eyes  of  a  child. 


V 

THE  next  morning  Andrew  Forrester  was  up  with 
the  sun  and  out  for  a  morning  gallop.  The  first 
thought  in  his  mind  was  how  to  arrange  to  see  Irma 
Dellabarre.  For  see  her  he  felt  he  must  after  the  de 
cisive  events  of  the  night.  Until  the  explanation  with 
his  wife,  he  had  not  been  quite  sure  of  his  own  senti 
ments,  but  the  declarations  he  had  made  gave  a  note  of 
finality,  an  answer  to  the  perplexities  which  had  existed 
in  his  own  mind. 

He  had  burned  the  bridges  behind  him  and  every 
instinct  now  impelled  him  to  the  other  woman  with  a 
strength  which  surprised  him.  For  there  had  been 
moments  of  irritation,  of  grave  doubts  in  the  intimacy 
which,  from  an  accidental  meeting,  had  grown  into  a 
deep  confidence. 

Amy  was  not  down  at  the  breakfast,  pretexting  a 
cold  contracted  on  the  ride  home.  Kitty  Lightbody 
and  the  boys  went  off  immediately  for  a  tennis  tourna 
ment  which  was  scheduled  at  ten  o'clock.  Every  one 
would  be  lunching  on  the  Club  veranda.  He  seized 
the  opportunity  eagerly,  had  Gregory  telephone  the 
Dellabarres  that  he  was  coming  and  drove  off  in  the 
limousine.  Amy,  of  course,  would  learn  of  his  destina 
tion,  but,  though  he  would  have  spared  her  any  un 
necessary  affront,  he  felt  that  he  must  see  Irma,  and 
see  her  at  once. 

To  Irma  he  had  never  put  into  words  the  emotion 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  277 

which  drew  him  to  her.  It  was  not  necessary.  She 
could  be  under  no  illusions  on  that  score.  The  sense 
of  chivalry  in  him  would  have  restrained  him  if  noth 
ing  else.  Neither  by  word  nor  action  had  he  departed 
from  the  attitude  of  deep  veneration  which  she  had 
inspired.  Beyond  that,  he  had  opened  his  heart  com 
pletely  and  in  return  he  had  felt  that  by  a  word  here 
and  there,  a  look  of  sadness,  by  a  chance  suggestion, 
she  had  shown  him  the  Calvary  which  she  endured  at 
home. 

When  the  car  slowed  up  and  ran  into  the  deep  pine- 
covered  entrance,  with  the  low  vine-covered  home 
ahead,  he  recalled  all  at  once  that  first  time,  in  the  night 
and  glistening  rain,  when  he  had  come  to  its  welcom 
ing  lights  in  company  with  Amy.  Despite  himself,  he 
could  not  master  a  momentary  pain,  but  immediately, 
frowning,  he  said  to  himself, 

"  No,  no,  that 's  past !    That  can't  wound  me  now !  " 

He  did  not  get  out  of  the  motor  but  said  to  the  but 
ler  who  came  out  smiling, 

"  Just  say  Mrs.  Forrester's  car  is  waiting  for  Mrs. 
Dellabarre,  will  you  ?  " 

'  That  was  rather  foolish,"  he  thought  the  next 
moment.  "  It  looks  rather  strange  if  I  don't  get  out 
and  go  in." 

He  rose,  descended,  and  then  changed  his  mind. 
Pretending  was  not  in  his  nature,  and  being  in  a  false 
position  left  him  irritated  and  uncomfortable.  To 
give  himself  an  excuse,  he  passed  to  the  front  of  the 
car  and  threw  up  the  hood. 

"  Do  you  find  it  carbonizes  much,  Bingham  ?  "  he 
inquired. 

"  No,  sir.    Not  so  much  now,  sir." 

The  door  opened,  he  looked  up  eagerly.    Mr.  Delia- 


278  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

barre  came  out,  frail,  mechanical,  bushy  like  a  marion 
ette  on  strings. 

"How  do,  Dellabarre?"  he  said,  closing  the  hood 
not  to  have  to  offer  his  hand. 

"Isn't  Mrs.  Forrester  with  you?"  said  Dellabarre 
slowly. 

"That's  stupid  now.  Why  should  he  say  that?" 
he  thought.  Out  loud  he  said  hurriedly,  "  Amy  's  dos 
ing  up  a  sore  throat  and  so  to  save  time  I  ran  over  to 
get  Irma." 

"  I  understand." 

Andrew  came  around  the  car.  Their  glances  met. 
The  appearance  of  Dellabarre  was  a  shock  to  him. 
There  was  an  unmistakable  pasty  look  about  him  and 
the  hand  on  the  button  of  the  jacket  shook. 

"  There  's  death  in  that  fellow's  eyes,"  he  thought, 
and  the  next  moment  recoiled  before  the  sinister  specu 
lations  that  started  up. 

Irma  Dellabarre,  in  a  blue  foulard,  smiling  and 
composed  under  a  sweeping  leghorn  hat,  came  out 
with  Mon  Amour  under  her  arm. 

"  Hello,  Andrew !  well,  this  is  a  surprise,"  she  said, 
lightly  offering  her  hand ;  "  mind  my  taking  the  dar 
ling?  Why,  where  's  Amy?  " 

Mon  Amour  set  up  a  yapping  as  he  took  her  hand. 
Somehow  her  words  grated  on  his  ear.  He  repeated 
again  the  excuse  he  had  given  the  husband.  The  situa 
tion  was  horribly  false.  He  felt  guilty  and  humiliated. 

"  Coming  over  later,  Rudy  ?  "  said  Irma,  stepping 
into  the  motor  and  installing  Mon  Amour. 

"  Later,  yes." 

"  Do.  It 's  going  to  be  quite  exciting  —  and  luncheon 
will  be  lots  of  fun.  Every  one  will  be  there." 

Mr.   Dellabarre  was  .still  standing  at  attention  as 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  279 

the  car  swung  into  the  drive.  They  were  silent,  each 
under  the  echo  of  the  parting. 

"  He  is  in  a  terrible  state,"  she  murmured,  looking 
away.  They  passed  the  gate-keeper  and  swung  out 
on  to  the  main  road.  She  leaned  back  and  drew  a  long 
breath  of  relief,  passing  her  hand  over  her  eyes. 

"  Good  God,  what  an  existence !  "  he  thought. 

The  embarrassment  of  their  mutual  deception  before 
the  husband  was  still  upon  him.  Before  his  eyes  rose 
again  the  racked  figure  of  Rudolph  Dellabarre.  How 
long  would  he  drag  out  this  shattered  existence,  he 
thought  moodily. 

"  It  may  come  all  in  a  moment,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"  and  then  it  may  drag  on  for  years.  You  never  can 
tell.  It  Js  awful  to  have  such  thoughts  —  awful  and 
yet  —  "  He  glanced  at  her,  wondering  if  that  sinister 
possibility  were  back  of  the  melancholy  in  her  eyes. 

"  You  have  had  a  talk  with  Amy  ?  "  she  said,  without 
turning  towards  him. 

"  Yes,  last  night." 

"  I  supposed  so." 

"  It  was  painful,  very,"  he  said,  frowning. 

"  I  'm  sorry,  Andrew."  She  laid  her  hand  on  his 
arm.  "  You  have  so  much  to  bear.  I  'm  sorry  if  I 
have  made  it  any  worse."  She  hesitated  a  moment. 
"  Do  you  think  it  was  wise  to  come  for  me  like  this  ?  " 

"  I  had  to  see  you." 

"  Yes ;  but  at  the  club  you  could  have  managed  that. 
Will  she  be  there?" 

"  I  don't  know.  She  was  n't  down  for  breakfast," 
he  said  gloomily.  "  Well  —  I  Ve  told  her  all." 

She  looked  so  alarmed  at  this  that  he  hastened  to 
add,  "  I  said  nothing  about  you." 

"Are  you  sure?" 


28c  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  I  refused  to  discuss  you."  Then  he  corrected  him 
self.  '  Your  name,  of  course,  was  mentioned,  but  I 
said  nothing  about  my  feelings  toward  you.  I  did 
say  that  if  we  were  both  free,  I  should  consider  it  an 
honor  to  have  you  for  my  wife.  I  said  it  to  show  the 
respect  I  felt  toward  you,"  he  added. 

'  Yes,  I  see,"  she  frowned  and  buried  her  lips  in 
the  little  nosegay  of  sweet  peas  which  she,  had  in  her 
hand.  "  I  think  you  had  better  tell  me  all.  Of  course 
she  did  not  believe  that  I  met  you  by  accident." 

"  No,  of  course  not." 

"  Did  you  —  did  you  admit  that  ?  " 

"  I  refused  to  discuss  you  in  any  way." 

She  nodded  in  approval. 

"  What  a  pity !  "  she  said,  turning  to  him  with  sad 
ness  in  her  eyes.  "  Why  could  n't  they  leave  us  alone  ? 
Why  spoil  something  that  was  so  genuine,  so  real? 
But  that 's  the  trouble,  Andrew.  Now  it  will  be  so 
different." 

He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  the  fighting  look,  which 
was  characteristic  of  him  when  he  was  crossed,  set 
over  his  lips  and  his  forehead. 

"  No,  it  won't,"  he  said  doggedly.  "  We  have  done 
nothing  wrong.  It  is  our  own  affair." 

"  How  little  you  know,"  she  said  with  a  sigh. 

"  I  think  the  situation  is  clearer  than  you  think," 
he  said  slowly.  "  Shall  I  tell  Bingham  to  take  the  long 
way  round  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  I  would  n't  do  that,"  she  said  hastily.  "  It 
is  rather  conspicuous  as  it  is,  our  coming  up  like  this." 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  he  said  gloomily. 

"  I  don't  blame  you,  Andrew,"  she  said  gently. 
"  Now  tell  me  quickly." 

When  he  had  finished  the  details  of  his  interview 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  281 

with  Amy,  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes,  and  she  looked 
away  that  he  might  not  perceive  them. 

"  Yes,  it  was  hard,"  he  consented.  "  I  did  n't  get 
much  sleep  last  night.  It 's '  always  hard  when  you 
come  to  a  parting  of  the  ways.  And  yet,  now,  frankly, 
it  is  a  relief.  It  was  all  false,  our  pretending  toward 
each  other.  For,  Irma,  don't  make  any  mistake.  Amy 
does  n't  love  me  —  she  has  n't  for  a  long  while." 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  said,  shaking  her  head.  "  I 
wonder." 

"  I  have  no  hard  feelings  toward  her  —  now,"  he 
said  slowly.  "  I  've  been  responsible  for  much.  At 
the  bottom,  of  course,  we  should  never  have  married, 
that 's  the  plain  fact.  All  other  explanations  are  be 
side  the  point.  I  have  left  the  matter  in  her  hands." 
He  stopped  and  then  added  significantly,  "  I  think  I 
know  what  she  will  do." 

"  You  are  quite  sure  that  this  will  mean  nothing  to 
you  ?  "  she  said,  resting  her  glance  on  him  a  moment. 

"  It  may  mean  everything  to  me,"  he  said  directly. 
"  You  must  understand,  of  course,  what  I  mean." 

She  nodded  and  looked  away. 

'  You  are  fortunate." 

"I?"  he  said,  startled. 

'  You  have  no  children,"  she  said  sadly.  "  Children 
complicate  everything!  " 

"  Good  heavens,  Irma,"  he  exclaimed,  "  you  are 
the  one  I  marvel  at  —  how  can  you  go  on?  " 

"  And  yet  I  do." 

"  But  why  —  why?  "  he  cried.  "  Every  one  knows 
the  situation.  No  one  would  blame  you."  He  checked 
himself.  "  I  won't  talk  of  that  to-day  —  your  side  of 
it  —  but  you  must  have  considered  possibilities." 

"  Considered!    Of  course,  of  course!  " 


282  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

In  the  distance  he  saw  the  lazy  pennants  of  the 
Yacht  Club  and  the  thronged  piazzas. 

"  Some  time  we  will  talk  the  future  over  hon 
estly,  without  fear,  —  not  now,"  he  said  hurriedly. 
"  There  's  a  big  life  ahead  for  both  of  us." 

She  did  not  answer.  Her  head  bent,  her  glance 
deep  in  the  multicolored  bouquet  of  sweet  peas. 

"  You  understand,"  he  said  gently.  He  laid  his 
hand  over  hers.  His  touch  had  always  a  magnetic 
power  over  her.  She  looked  up  at  him,  a  smile  on  her 
lips,  sadness  in  her  eyes. 

"  What  a  pity,  Andrew !  "  she  said,  shaking  her 
head.  "  If  I  thought  you  could  be  happy  with  her,  I 
would  sacrifice  myself  —  oh,  yes,  a  hundred  times 
over." 

".No,  no,  not  you  —  wait,  wait  a  little  longer,"  he 
said  huskily,  and  his  hand  closed  over  hers  in  a  sudden 
tension  which  woke  up  Mon  Amour  and  sent  him  into 
a  furious  yapping. 


VI 

A  MY  FORRESTER  was  already  in  the  white 
•*  *•  throng  which  crowded  the  veranda  and  streamed 
over  the  green  lawns.  She  came  up  bravely  to  meet 
them,  waving  her  handkerchief. 

"  Good  gracious,  what  lazy  people !  Really,  Irma, 
if  you  run  away  with  my  husband  like  that,  I  shall  be 
getting  jealous,"  she  exclaimed  loud  enough  for  sev 
eral  persons  to  hear. 

"Is  she  going  to  fight  for  him?"  thought  Irma, 
while  Andrew  was  divided  between  irritation  at  an 
attitude  which  he  knew  to  be  false  and  admiration  for 
the  gameness  with  which  she  bore  it. 

"  Well,  she  stands  up  to  the  guns,"  he  thought  grate 
fully.  Under  the  merciful  shade  of  the  lace  sun  hat 
she  wore,  he  detected  the  shadows  of  a  sleepless  night. 
Unaccustomed  to  the  manners  of  society,  to  its  stoic 
etiquette  and  its  hidden  sorrows,  its  ambuscades,  its 
treacheries  and  its  smiling  hatreds,  it  shocked  him 
profoundly  to  see  the  two  women  join  arms  and  move 
into  the  crowd.  He  followed  more  slowly,  revolting 
at  the  comedy  he  saw  they  would  be  forced  to  play. 

"  Is  there  an  interesting  match  on  ? "  said  Irma 
mechanically. 

'  Yes,  indeed,  Tody  and  Jap  are  playing  against  the 
Bartons,  one  set  all,"  she  answered.  The  pressure  of 
Irma's  arm  burned  her.  Yet,  determined  on  her  role, 
she  said  with  calculated  lightness,  "  Why  all  this  mys- 


284  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

tery,  dear?  Only  too  delighted  if  you  '11  wake  Andrew 
up  a  bit.  It 's  just  what  he  needs !  " 

Despite  the  nonchalance  of  her  words,  her  eyes 
fastened  eagerly  on  Irma,  seeking  to  learn  from  her 
expression  the  true  state  of  affairs.  All  night  long,  in 
wakeful  turning  hours,  she  had  asked  herself  how  far 
it  had  gone  ?  What  was  she  capable  of  ?  Was  it  pos 
sible  that  Irma  herself  cared ;  and  if  she  did,  what  then  ? 

"  Of  course  you  '11  think  I  'm  fibbing,"  said  Irma 
pleasantly,  "  but  it  really  was  an  accidental  meeting." 

"  And  his  going  for  you  this  morning  was  too,  I 
suppose  ?  "  said  Amy  quietly.  "  Oh,  Irma,  Irma,  at 
least  play  the  game." 

"  What  was  I  thinking  of  to  come  here  with  him?  " 
thought  Irma  uneasily.  The  ring  of  emotion  in  Amy's 
voice  made  her  wonder  how  far  she  could  trust  to  the 
other's  breeding  —  some  women  would  make  a  nasty 
scene. 

"Where  is  Monte  —  this  morning?"  she  said 
pleasantly. 

"  It  is  serious.  He  has  told  her  everything,"  Amy 
thought  instantly.  They  were  by  the  tennis  courts, 
picking  their  way  through  the  crowd  on  the  lawn  to 
their  seats,  which  Gladys  Challoner  was  holding  for 
them.  Above,  on  the  elevated  stand,  Monte  Bracken 
was  refereeing  the  match.  He  looked  up,  startled,  at 
their  arrival,  and  then  ceremoniously  lifted  his  hat  in 
response  to  Irma's  fluttered  waving. 

"  There,"  said  Amy  to  herself,  studying  the  faces 
which  turned  curiously  toward  them,  "  if  any  one  has 
seen  them  together,  he  '11  know  now  how  perfectly  in 
different  I  am  to  what  they  do." 

She  did  not  see  clearly  what  was  happening  on  the 
courts.  Tody  and  Jap  were  bounding  about,  indulg- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  285 

ing  in  antics  which  set  the  crowd  in  roars  of  laughter. 
She  saw  only  the  faces  of  Irma  and  Andrew  at  her 
side  and  at  times,  far  off  as  in  a  mist,  the  glance  of 
Monte  Bracken  turning  toward  her.  When  the  match 
ended  and  the  crowd  rose  to  return  to  the  veranda, 
Kitty  Lightbody,  jubilant  at  the  victory  of  the  boys, 
came  up  rapturously. 

"  Was  n't  it  grand,  my  dear ;  was  n't  Tody  just 
splendid?  I  won  a  hundred  on  them,  bless  them!" 
She  drew  Amy  aside  and  whispered,  "  Well,  you  might 
thank  me!  " 

"Thank  you?  What  do  you  mean?"  said  Amy. 
She  was  watching  Irma. 

"  For  leaving  you  alone  with  Monte,  of  course," 
said  Kitty,  astonished. 

Amy  was  so  irritated  at  this  unwelcome  reminder 
that  she  lost  her  temper. 

"  Kitty,  don't  be  a  fool !  You  know  perfectly  well 
that  I  'm  exceedingly  annoyed  at  what  you  did." 

"  Annoyed !  "  said  Kitty,  so  startled  that  the  china 
eyes  rolled  comically. 

"  Certainly  annoyed.  You  made  a  very  embarrass 
ing  situation  for  me.  The  last  thing  I  wanted  was 
to  go  home  alone  with  Monte  Bracken.  I  don't  see 
how  you  could  have  been  so  thoughtless." 

"  But,  my  Lord,  you  need  n't  be  so  fierce !  You 
were  n't  really  alone,"  said  Kitty  indignantly.  "  And 
say,  look  here,  who  wanted  to  get  rid  of  Tody  in  the 
first  place?" 

Amy  was  aghast.    She  had  blundered  again. 

"  I  'm  sure  I  did  n't  mean  to  be  cross,"  she  said 
hastily.  "  Forgive  me,  but  I  particularly  don't  want 
to  be  talked  about,  as  you  ought  to  know." 

She  left  Kitty  Lightbody,  still  murmuring  in  her 


286  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

astonishment,  and  went  in  quest  of  the  others.  She 
had  already  forgotten  her,  her  mind  intent  on  surpris 
ing  the  two  in  some  revealing  moment.  Bracken  was 
talking  to  Irma.  During  the  morning  he  had  studi 
ously  avoided  Amy,  divining  the  irritation  his  presence 
might  bring.  She  came  up  restlessly. 

"  Monte,  you  lunch  with  us  —  get  a  table  for  four!  " 
she  said,  determined  to  carry  out  her  part  to  the  end. 

"  And  Kitty  and  the  others  ?  "  he  said,  seeking  a 
way  out  from  this  tragic  intimacy. 

"  Oh,  they  '11  manage  for  themselves !  " 

He  started  to  object,  saw  how  agitated  she  was, 
and  finally  bowed  acquiescence.  "  Yes,  very  glad  to." 

She  would  have  liked  to  have  carried  Monte  away 
from  Irma,  but  for  fear  of  showing  too  much  eager 
ness  she  left  them  and  went  up  herself  to  select  a 
table. 

Andrew  was  standing  on  the  steps  talking  to  Mr. 
Gunther  and  a  group  of  the  older  men,  who  were  listen 
ing  to  his  exposition  of  Mexican  affairs. 

"  He  looks  his  best  in  flannels,"  she  thought  from 
habit.  He  looked  particularly  well  to-day,  holding 
himself  well,  speaking  with  authority  —  among  men 
he  was  some  one.  She  started  to  join  them,  but  the 
thought  that  she  would  be  welcomed  as  his  wife 
stopped  her.  She  turned  back,  forgetting  her  errand 
and  returned  to  Irma. 

Lunch  was  a  torture.  The  two  men  sat  gloomily 
listening  to  the  chatter  of  the  women  who  faced  each 
other  across  the  shining  cloth,  smiled,  fenced  and 
acted  for  their  benefit,  with  unnatural  gaiety.  Amy 
suffered  profoundly,  more  profoundly  than  she  had 
ever  remembered,  yet  she  consoled  herself  with  the 
thought  that  she  was  'inflicting  a  greater  humiliation. 


VIRTUOUS   WIVES  287 

She  had  but  one  idea  —  to  keep  them  constantly  under 
her  supervision.  It  was  a  martyrdom  she  imposed 
on  herself.  So  determined  was  she  to  carry  it  through 
to  the  last  drop  of  bitterness  that  with  the  end  of  the 
afternoon  she  called  Bracken  to  her. 

"  I  have  something  to  ask  of  you/'  she  began  — 
"  something  disagreeable." 

"  What  is  it?  "  he  said,  watching  her  anxiously. 

"  I  want  you  to  go  back  with  me  in  the  car." 

"With  — with  them?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Good  heavens,  Amy,"  he  exclaimed  in  revolt, 
"  you  can't  do  that  —  flesh  and  blood  won't  stand  it !  " 

"  Yes,  I  can.  I  've  made  up  my  mind  to.  I  'm  going 
to  carry  it  through  to-day,  through  to  the  bitter  end!  " 
she  said  in  a  lifeless  voice.  "  She  shall  enjoy  what 
she  's  done.  After  to-day,  I  don't  care  what  they  do 
—  but  to-day  I  have  a  right  to  punish  her !  " 

"  Amy,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  I  beg  you  not  to  do 
that-—" 

"  And  I  am  going  to.    Will  you  come  ?  " 

"  It 's  not  an  easy  thing  you  ask  of  me,"  he  said 
abruptly. 

"  I  know  —  will  you  come  ?  " 

"  If  you  insist  —  yes,"  he  said  after  a  moment. 

But  this  last  torture  was  spared  them.  Rudolph 
Dellabarre  arrived  in  his  motor  skiff  and  Irma,  seizing 
the  providential  way  out,  announced  that  she  would 
return  with  her  husband. 

From  the  veranda  Amy  and  Monte  Bracken 
watched  the  little  cockleshell  of  a  racer  go  shooting 
out  around  the  pier,  Dellabarre  at  the  wheel,  Irma 
standing  well  up  forward,  looking  away  from  them. 

"  I  wish  she  'd  drown!  "  she  said  to  herself  bitterly, 


288  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

seeing  nothing  but  the  slender  figure  against  the  sheen 
of  water. 

"  Better  go  back  in  a  party  —  all  of  us,"  said  Monte 
Bracken  at  her  elbow.  They  were  a  little  apart  from 
the  crowd  which  was  breaking  up,  automobiles  depart 
ing,  motor  boats  streaking  over  the  bay. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose,"  she  said  wearily. 

"  You  are  very  tired." 

"  Very." 

"  Listen,  Amy,"  he  said  suddenly,  carried  away  by 
the  pain  of  seeing  her  suffering.  "  I  'm  going  to  say 
something  to  you,  and  I  don't  want  you  to  answer  me. 
I  want  you  to  hear  it,  that 's  all.  Don't  turn  around, 
but  listen.  It 's  a  tough  moment  for  you,  God  knows. 
I  understand  more  than  you  think.  The  whole  world's 
breaking  up.  Now,  I  want  you  to  have  something  to 
cling  to.  I  want  you  to  know  where  I  stand.  Per 
haps  I  should  n't  say  this  now.  It 's  a  horrible  thing 
to  say  such  things.  But  I  feel  you  need  to  know  one 
thing.  Whatever  turns  up,  count  on  me.  No,  don't 
say  anything  that  would  spoil  it.  If  you  need  me  — 
when  you  need  me  —  I  am  ready,  that 's  all." 

She  did  not  answer,  nor  did  her  glance  leave  the 
motor  boat  which  had  now  dwindled  into  a  speck.  At 
most  her  lips  tightened  a  little,  and  a  breath  went 
through  her  body. 

"  Do  you  understand?  "  he  asked,  touching  her  arm. 
Despite  all  he  had  announced,  he  watched  her,  hoping 
for  a  sign.  He  repeated.  "  Do  you  understand, 
Amy?" 

She  nodded,  a  faint,  almost  imperceptible  nod.  She 
did  not  speak.  She  did  not  look  at  him,  her  glance 
still  out  among  the  waters  of  the  bay  at  a  shadow  that 
fled. 


VII 


THE  next  weeks  passed  on  the  edge  of  a  volcano. 
Andrew  came  and  went.  Outwardly  there  was  no 
sign  of  anything  changed  between  them.  The  house 
was  always  full  of  gaiety,  and  the  occasions  when  they 
were  left  alone  were  rare.  At  times,  by  accident,  they 
met,  and  each  time  in  his  eyes  was  the  same  waiting 
question : 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  " 
This  constant  intimacy,  this  estrangement  in  the 
crowd,  was  hard  enough ;  but  what  was  worse  were  the 
days  when  he  was  in  New  York,  when  at  the  last  mo 
ment  came  a  telephone  that  he  would  not  return  for  the 
night.  What  did  he  do  in  the  city?  Was  he  seeing 
her?  Her  pride  forbade  her  to  inquire  directly,  but 
by  a  dozen  subterfuges,  through  Kitty  or  the  boys,  she 
followed  the  movements  of  Irma  Dellabarre.  From 
the  evening  on  the  veranda  of  the  yacht  club,  when  he 
had  declared  himself,  Monte  Bracken  had  studiously 
avoided  seeking  her.  When  she  saw  him  at  a  dinner, 
on  the  bathing  beach  or  at  a  dance,  he  came  up  to  her 
immediately,  and  in  his  eyes,  which  questioned  her 
steadily,  she  read  the  same  question : 
"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  " 
She  held  them  from  her,  these  two  men,  and  exam 
ined  them  calmly,  without  prejudice;  for  it  seemed  to 
her  that  she  was  playing  with  life  and  death,  and  that 
in  her  hands  were  the  destinies  of  both.  Monte 
Bracken  appealed  to  all  the  fallow  sources  of  sentiment 


29o  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

in  her.  With  him,  every  instinct  of  enjoyment  awoke. 
She  felt  his  understanding,  his  complete  sympathy,  the 
comradeship  of  every  desire  and  every  impulse.  She 
said  to  herself  that  she  did  not  yet  love  him,  but  im 
mediately  she  admitted  that  to  do  so  would  be  the  easi 
est  thing  in  the  world,  and  to  love  him  meant  all  the 
romance  of  youth  that  had  escaped  her. 

Her  husband  she  saw  clearly  for  the  first  time.  From 
the  beginning  she  had  had  no  feeling  of  resentment 
toward  him.  A  great  feeling  of  pity  moved  her.  She 
wished  to  protect  him  against  himself.  How  could  he 
be  so  blind  ?  Yes,  she  had  failed,  failed  utterly  in  her 
relations  toward  him.  The  crisis  at  which  she  stood 
was  too  great  for  her  to  deceive  herself  about  that. 
She  had  meant  nothing  to  him  —  and  he  deserved  so 
much !  He  was  fine  all  the  way  through.  He  had  not 
even  reproached  her,  when  he  had  every  right.  But 
Irma  —  how  could  she  surrender  him  to  Irma  ?  Irma, 
of  all  women  —  Irma,  who  was  only  playing  with  sen 
sations,  who  dramatized  herself,  who  had  no  pro- 
founder  instincts  than  the  staging  of  her  coquetries. 
What  had  infatuated  him?  What  could  he  see  in 
Irma,  who  saw  her  so  clearly  ?  The  best  thing  perhaps 
would  be  to  hold  on  for  a  while  until  the  veil  had 
lifted ;  then  if  he  wanted  a  divorce  and  the  opportunity 
to  find  some  woman  who  would  give  him  a  true  home, 
she  would  do  so  gladly,  with  only  the  kindest  of  feel 
ings.  But  when  she  came  to  this  inevitable  conclusion 
of  her  problem,  her  head  burned  and  her  eyes  were  wet 
with  tears. 

"  I  don't  love  him !  I  wanted  to  love  him,  but  I 
can't  —  I  can't!"  she  assured  herself.  "We  can't 
make  ourselves  do  that?  But  I  respect  him  and  I  ad 
mire  him  —  yes,  even  more  than  Monte.  I  don't  want 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  291 

any  more  unhappiness  to  come  to  him.  Oh,  if  I  could 
only  see  him  happy  —  I  should  not  feel  this  terrible 
remorse !  " 

The  only  one  being  she  did  not  understand  was  her 
self.  Why  this  hideous  thing  had  come  to  her  she 
could  not  comprehend.  The  idea  of  divorce  frightened 
her,  like  all  the  unknown  steps  in  life.  Her  standards, 
her  judgments,  her  prejudices,  were  a  sample  of  the 
collective  opinions  of  those  who  surrounded  her.  What 
would  be  their  attitude  toward  her?  Would  she  have 
to  go  abroad  and  live  in  some  mingled  ostracism  of 
Europe  ?  She  searched  among  her  acquaintances,  and 
when  she  found  some  one  who  had  been  divorced  she 
hastened  to  invite  them  to  dinner,  watching  them  with 
the  curiosity  of  a  child,  trying  to  divine  whether  at 
bottom  they  were  really  happy  —  if  they  suffered  from 
the  feeling  of  the  world's  criticism. 

The  evil  shadow  in  all  her  struggles  toward  an  hon 
est  recognition  of  her  duty  was  the  thought  of  Irma 
Dellabarre.  Irma  had  taken  her  revenge;  Irma  was 
the  element  that  aroused  all  the  worst  in  her,  —  Irma, 
who  stood  as  her  rival,  not  only  in  the  present  of  An 
drew,  but  in  the  past  of  Monte  Bracken. 

She  had  tried  to  put  Monte  out  of  her  thoughts. 
She  was  afraid  of  him ;  not  of  his  brilliant  side  —  the 
mind  that  awoke  her  mind,  the  dramatic  touch  about 
him  which  captured  her  imagination  —  but  the  gentler 
side,  the  exquisite  deference  toward  her,  his  tact,  his 
patience,  and  the  longing  in  his  eyes  to  hold  forth  his 
hand,  the  deeper  side  of  the  man  which  she  had 
reached;  the  Bracken  who,  since  the  night  of  their 
return  over  starlit  waters,  she  knew  loved  her.  In  the 
end  she  yielded  to  the  need  of  knowing  him  at  hand. 
When  he  was  in  the  room  she  had  a  sensation  of  elec- 


292  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

trie  strength  to  which  she  went  avidly  in  the  utter  weak 
ness  of  the  loneliness  in  which  she  wandered.  Every 
day,  somehow  or  other,  she  managed  to  see  him,  but 
always  in  the  presence  of  others,  and  at  times  when 
she  thought  no  one  was  watching,  her  eyes  fastened 
themselves  on  him —  his  destiny,  his  happiness,  too, 
lay  in  her  hands. 

And  then,  abruptly,  without  prearrangement,  a  week 
when  Andrew  had  been  called  West,  the  solution  pre 
cipitated  itself. 

It  had  been  a  dry  day  in  July,  but  towar.d  the  evening 
a  little  breeze  had  set  the  bay  to  rippling  and  the 
evening  had  been  delicious.  They  had  gone  for  a  sail 
in  Bracken's  racing  sloop,  the  Water  Sprite,  a  marvel 
of  light  grace  and  speed,  which  he  was  preparing  for 
the  races  at  the  end  of  the  month.  From  the  glowing 
decks  Kitty  and  Amy,  stretched  in  an  ecstasy  of  lan 
guor,  dozed  in  feline  daydreams.  Above  them,  the 
white  spread  of  sails  flattened  against  the  brittle  blue 
sky.  Across  the  wrinkled  waters,  moving  like  a  fairy 
wraith,  Challoner's  rival  yacht,  the  White  Streak, 
slipped  easily  at  their  side,  with  Gladys  and  Irma  loung 
ing  at  the  bow.  Between  the  two  men  an  intense  rivalry 
existed,  which  the  fleeing  boats  seemed  to  comprehend 
in  the  swift  coquetry  of  their  agile  manoeuvring,  the 
sweeping  descent  on  each  other  for  an  attempted  blank 
eting,  the  challenge  of  the  right  of  way  which  brought 
them  from  time  to  time  in  perilous  proximity,  only  to 
glide  easily  away  under  a  swerving  tack. 

From  where  she  lay  under  the  creaking  boom  that 
passed  and  repassed  in  the  light  breeze  with  the  ease  of 
a  swallow's  darting,  Amy  Forrester,  through  half- 
closed  eyes,  watched  Monte  Bracken.  He  was  bare- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  293 

headed,  the  dark  hair  a  little  loose  about  the  temples, 
the  tanned  throat  and  arms  revealed  in  the  creamy 
shirt,  a  pipe  in  his  mouth,  his  body  balanced  against 
the  slight  tilting  of  the  deck,  where  below,  a  beaded 
edge  of  watery  lace  curled  on  the  flurried  blue.  From 
time  to  time  he  gave  a  staccato  order  to  a  sailor  at  the 
ropes,  studying  the  set  of  the  topsails  or  watching  with 
appraising  eyes  the  answering  challenge  of  the  White 
Streak,  jibing,  tacking,  flinging  out  a  great,  lazy  bal 
loon  sail,  testing  the  qualities  of  his  adversary.  Yet 
in  all  this  solicitude  of  the  master,  occasionally  his 
glance  came  back  to  her,  rested  a  moment  on  her  half- 
veiled  eyes,  lit  up  with  a  smile,  passed  and  returned 
again. 

Life  with  him  would  be  very  like  this  gliding  ease, 
she  thought,  pleasant  and  drawn  on  languid  breezes. 
When  Andrew  was  away  and  she  was  no  longer  racked 
by  the  thought  of  imagined  meetings  with  Irma  Della- 
barre,  she  yielded  to  the  charm  of  this  personality,  and 
there  were  moments,  as  in  this  glory  of  the  rosy  set 
ting  of  an  untroubled  day,  when  she  felt  in  the  momen 
tary  meeting  of  their  glances  depths  of  feeling  which 
surprised  her.  Life  would  be  pleasant  with  Monte 
Bracken  —  even  now  she  could  not  think  of  it  without 
him,  without  a  feeling  of  rebellion.  To-day  there  was 
a  new  longing  in  her,  a  longing  that  came  to  her,  dis 
turbing  and  delightful,  a  thrilling  impatience  against 
the  very  reserve  and  deference  which  he  held  toward 
her  with  such  fine  courtesy  —  a  reticence  she  did  not 
feel  always  in  his  glance. 

Something  new,  something  that  she  had  never 
known,  stirred  in  her  as  the  gossamer  sails  stirred  and 
swelled  above  her  against  the  blue  deep. 

With  a  waving  of  scarfs,  the  White  Streak  gave 


294  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

way  and  sped  toward  the  Dellabarre  anchorage  up  the 
bay.  They  took  in  their  balloon  jib,  tacked  and  made 
the  dock. 

"  Lordy,  I  love  sailing  when  it 's  like  that !  "  said 
Kitty,  jumping  up  with  a  sigh  of  regret.  "  I  say, 
Monte,  I  'm  dying  to  make  some  money.  What  do 
you  think  —  can  I  back  you  against  the  White 
Streak?  " 

11  Backing  myself  pretty  heavy,  Kitty,"  he  said  con 
fidently.  In  their  necessity  of  an  amiable  third,  he  had 
come  to  almost  a  liking  of  Kitty  Lightbody. 

"  Then  I  '11  take  up  Gladys  at  evens!  " 

"  What  are  you  doing  to-night  ?  "  said  Amy,  in  a 
low  voice,  when  Kitty  had  been  propelled  to  the  wharf. 

"  I  had  promised  to  rush  over  to  Claire's." 

"  Come  to  dinner  instead,"  she  said  impulsively. 
"  To-night  I  feel  I  need  you  around." 

"  You  want  me  ?  "  he  said,  looking  into  her  eyes 
eagerly. 

"  Please  —  will  you  come  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

The  supper  was  on  the  piazza,  by  the  light  of  candles. 
They  had  not  much  to  say,  speaking  in  perfunctory  sen 
tences,  content  to  let  Kitty  Lightbody  babble  on.  Tody 
and  Jap,  who  were  due  for  the  week-end,  had  tele 
phoned  that  they  would  be  down  after  dinner.  At 
nine  Kitty  went  off  to  the  station  to  meet  the  train, 
leaving  them  on  the  covered  porch  with  its  far  shore 
lights  and  the  lapping  of  waters  below.  The  butler 
returned  to  clear  the  table,  and  in  his  presence  the 
unease  they  felt  became  unbearable. 

"  I  say,  suppose  we  get  a  bit  of  air  while  Gregory 
tidies  up,"  he  said,  rising.  Gregory  was  almost  the 
eye  of  the  husband. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  295 

"  It 's  stuffy  here,"  she  assented.  They  passed 
across  the  lawn  to  the  edge  of  the  breakwater.  The  tide 
was  low,  and  below  the  pebbles  shone  in  the  obscurity. 
Occasionally  a  wisp  of  air,  damp  from  the  bay,  struck 
across  her  face  like  a  moist  cobweb. 

"  It  was  selfish  of  me  to  ask  you  to  break  your  en 
gagement,"  she  began  slowly. 

They  stood  apart  —  consciously. 

"  No,  it  was  not  that." 

"  It  was  so  quiet  this  afternoon  —  out  there.  You 
understand  things  so  well,  Monte.  It 's  good  just  to 
have  you  around." 

She  said  it  without  emotion  —  a  child  afraid  of 
loneliness. 

"  Thank  you." 

His  quiet  acceptance  reassured  her.  She  could  in 
dulge  herself.  With  him  she  was  sure  to  be  under 
stood,  sure  of  his  patience  and  his  unquestioning  loy 
alty.  She  looked  down  at  the  beach,  seized  with  an 
impulse  to  go  skipping  along  the  flat  rocks  like  a 
child. 

"  Come  on !  "  she  cried,  and  made  for  the  steep  steps. 

"  Be  careful,  Amy,  it 's  slippery !  "  he  cried  anxiously 
from  above  her. 

"  Oh,  I  never  fall,"  she  said  recklessly,  but  at  that 
moment,  in  the  darkness,  a  stone  turned  under  her  and 
she  gave  a  cry. 

"  You  see !  "  he  said,  catching  her  arm. 

"  Then  give  me  your  hand." 

His  hand  closed  over  the  one  she  held  to  him,  as  she 
balanced  on  a  ledge.  She  went  several  steps  and  then 
stopped. 

"  No,  I  Ve  had  enough  of  that,"  she  said  in  a  differ 
ent  voice. 


296  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

She  tried  to  draw  her  hand  from  his,  but  he  held  it 
firmly. 

"  Monte !  "  she  said  hurriedly.  "  Monte,  don't  do 
that!" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  releasing  her  instantly. 

Free,  she  had  a  feeling  of  terror.  Her  heart  was 
beating  so  that  she  thought  he  must  hear  it. 

"  I  don't  like  it  here  —  let 's  go  back." 

"  As  you  wish." 

In  her  hurry  to  avoid  the  touch  of  his  hand  again, 
she  sprang  ahead  and  up  the  steps  to  the  embankment, 
but  at  the  top  her  scarf  became  caught  in  a  ledge  of 
rock,  and  before  she  could  release  herself  he  was  at  her 
side. 

"  I  'm  caught,  I  can't  see  how !  "  she  said,  her  heart 
fluttering. 

"  Let  me  try." 

He  bent  over  so  close  that  she  felt  a  suffocation  in 
her  throat,  a  giddiness  in  her  head. 

"  There !  "  he  said  at  last,  straightening  up. 

She  whirled,  but  the  motion  was  again  an  unfortu 
nate  one,  for  it  sent  her  scarf  flying  about  him,  where 
it  caught  on  a  button  of  his  coat.  The  next  moment 
she  heard,  as  in  the  distance,  her  name  called  once, 
twice  —  and  then  everything  went  tumbling  around 
her.  She  was  in  his  arms,  powerless  to  move.  A  feel 
ing  of  terror  and  of  joy  swept  over  her.  His  eyes  were 
looking  down  into  hers,  coming  closer  and  closer.  She 
could  not  cry  out.  She  could  not  struggle.  She  felt 
a  sudden  pain  across  her  heart,  her  eyes  closed.  It 
had  come  —  an  accident  had  decided  for  her.  And 
then  he  kissed  her. 

That  wild  unleashed  kiss  burned  her  lips  and  cut 
across  her  soul  like  the  sting  of  a  lash.  Something 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  297 

primevally  rebellious  rose  up.  Her  brain  cleared.  She 
flung  back  her  head.  Her  arm  struck  violently  against 
his  lips. 

"Let  me  go!" 

No  longer  helpless,  but  strong  with  the  strength  of 
anger,  she  wrenched  herself  free  and  stood  from  him, 
trembling  in  every  limb. 

"  How  could  you  —  oh,  how  could  you !  " 

She  tried  to  speak  —  she  tried  to  voice  the  scorn 
that  rose  unreasoningly  against  him.  Words  choked 
in  her  throat.  This  had  been  no  kiss  such  as  Tody 
Dawson  had  stolen.  During  the  one  instant  of  giddi 
ness  she  had  lain  in  his  arms,  seeing  and  hearing  noth 
ing,  she  had  been  under  the  absolute  mastery  of  his 
will,  dominated  and  crushed. 

"  Why,  Amy !  "  he  began  in  wonder,  and  in  the  dark 
ness  she  felt  his  hands  coming  toward  her. 

"  Don't  touch  me ! "  she  cried  furiously,  striking 
his  hand  away.  "  Don't  you  dare !  " 

"Amy!"  " 

"  Oh,  what  a  brute  you  've  been !  "  she  cried  hysteri 
cally.  "  You,  whom  I  trusted  —  you!  And  this  is  the 
way  you  protect  me  —  the  way  you  respect  me !  " 

"  Good  God !  "  he  cried  in  amazed  protest.  "  But 
I  love  you !  " 

"  Love  ?  No !  That 's  not  love !  You  've  made  me 
despise  you  —  despise  myself !  " 

"  Wait !  "  he  said  hurriedly.  "  You  don't  know  what 
you  're  saying  —  you  can't,  it 's  impossible!  " 

"  Impossible  ?  I  've  never  been  so  humiliated  —  so 
hurt  —  and  by  you!  Oh,  to  think  that  this  could  hap 
pen  to  me !  "  All  at  once  she  gave  way  and  fell  back 
against  the  wall,  shaken  by  sobs.  He  stood  stern  and 
silent,  without  attempt  to  justify  himself,  waiting. 


298  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Are  you  yourself  now  ?  "  he  said,  when  at  length 
she  had  grown  quiet.  "  Are  you  calm  enough  to 
listen?" 

"  I  am,"  she  said  coldly.  Of  course,  now  he  would 
seek  to  justify  himself,  to  entreat  her  pardon. 

"  You  said,"  he  began  slowly  —  "  you  said  you  de 
spised  me."  He  waited. 

"  Do  you  mean  what  you  have  just  said  ?  "  he  asked, 
in  a  tone  which  should  have  warned  her. 

"I  do  —  exactly  as  I  have  said  it !  "  she  cried.  At 
the  moment  her  only  thought  was  to  humble  him  as  he 
had  humbled  her  before  his  sudden  strength. 

"  By  heavens !  "  he  said  with  a  flash  of  anger.  "  I 
beg  your  pardon  —  I  guess,  I  see  —  well  there  's  only 
one  thing  to  do.  I  '11  rid  you  of  my  presence  —  and  at 
once." 

"  I  am  glad  you  can  at  least  perceive  that !  " 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Forrester,"  he  said,  wheeling  around 
as  though  he  had  received  a  blow,  "  I  think  you  don't 
quite  understand  my  reasons." 

"  There  's  no  use  in  trying  to  justify  —  "  she  started 
precipitately  to  say. 

"Justify?  Hardly,"  he  cut  in.  "You  seem  to 
quite  misunderstand  the  situation.  I  have  not  the 
slightest  intention  now  or  at  any  time  of  excusing  my 
self  for  having,  in  a  moment  beyond  the  control  of  any 
man  who  loves,  lost  my  head  in  a  perfectly  human 
way." 

"  It  is  useless,"  she  cried  loudly,  to  still  the  feeling 
of  uneasiness  which  was  creeping  over  her.  '  There 
is  no  excuse,  none!  " 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  had  another 
ideal  of  you.  I  did  n't  think  you  were  like  the  other 
crowd.  I  thought  there  was  something  genuine  in  you 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  299 

—  something  that   would   mean   something  to   some 
man." 

"  You  have  no  right  to  —  " 

"  Oh,  yes  I  have.  I  have  the  right  to  say  this,  for 
I  have  protected  you  in  trying  moments.  In  the  mo 
ment  of  your  trouble  I  offered  you  everything  —  my 
self,  my  name,  only  after  you  gave  me  clearly  to  under 
stand  that  you  and  your  husband  were  on  the  verge  of 
separation.  That  is  something  for  a  man  to  offer  - 
to  put  at  your  feet,  without  demanding  an  answer.  If 
I  have  made  a  mistake,  you  have  led  me  to  it ;  you  have 
tried  me  beyond  what  a  woman  has  the  right  to  try 
a  man.  But  understand  this :  when  I  offered  you  what 
I  did  —  I  did  it  in  the  belief  that  your  feeling  was  not 
simply  one  of  calculation,  but  that  your  heart  was  in 
it  —  and  that  you  had  a  heart !  " 

"  Monte,  don't !  "  she  cried,  recoiling  and  covering 
her  face.  She  had  never  been  able  to  see  herself,  nor 
to  comprehend  her  own  motives,  and  when  some  one 
laid  them  before  her  without  mercy,  she  was  always 
shocked. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  did  n't  mean  —  I  should  have 
gone  without  saying  such  things  —  but  it 's  been  — 
well,  rather  a  shock!"  He  laughed,  and  said  with 
forced  gentleness,  "  The  trouble  is,  Amy,  you  really 
are  like  the  others  —  Irma  and  Gladys  and  the  rest. 
You  want  to  play  with  something  you  don't  understand, 
something  you  don't  need  in  your  life.  You  're  willing 
to  take  everything  from  a  man  and  give  nothing.  You 
can't  understand  what  you  do,  because  you  can't  feel 
yourself.  Well,  to  me  that 's  more  immoral  than  the 
woman  who  sacrifices  everything  because  she  does 
love.  Possibly  I  am  wrong  in  that  opinion,  but  I  hold 
it."  He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  when  he  continued, 


300  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

his  voice  was  even  again.  "  You  see,  I  am  not  a  mani 
kin.  I  am  not  a  Tody  Dawson.  No,  I  can't  make  any 
excuses.  If  I  lost  my  head  to-night,  honestly,  blindly, 
like  a  human  being,  I  had  every  right  to  do  so.  A 
woman  who  really  loves  does  n't  act  as  you  do  —  and 
if  you  don't  love  me  and  were  only  playing  with  my 
life  like  that,  then  Amy  —  He  stopped,  checked  the 
hot  words  on  his  tongue,  shuddered  and  said,  "  I 
must  n't  say  any  more,  it 's  dangerous.  Well,  I  think 
I  understand  now.  Good-by." 

What !  He  was  going  —  he  was  leaving  her,  when 
every  word  he  had  said  had  convinced  her  ?  Her  head 
turned,  she  felt  herself  reeling.  She  stretched  out  her 
hand. 

"Monte!" 

He  was  already  up  the  path,  swinging  rapidly  with 
great  strides. 

"  Monte,  don't  go  like  this  —  Monte,  listen  to  me ! 
Monte!" 

She  ran  after  him  a  few  steps,  faltered,  and  suddenly 
her  knees  bent  beneath  her.  Then  she  was  alone,  hud 
dled  against  the  side  of  the  veranda,  helpless  and  weak. 
In  the  distance  the  sound  of  his  retreating  steps  ceased 
on  the  gravel  path. 


VIII 

THE  day  of  the  yacht  races  a  storm  came  up  un 
expectedly  and  by  ten  o'clock  a  nasty  sea  was  on, 
with  the  wind  still  freshening.  Several  skippers,  after 
a  searching  of  the  sky  and  a  contemplation  of  the 
churning  course,  prudently  withdrew.  By  the  pier,  a 
group  in  yellow  slickers  was  discussing  the  prospect, 
a  large  element  arguing  for  a  postponement.  Chal- 
loner  and  Bracken,  however,  having  declared  their  in 
tention  to  attempt  the  course,  race  or  no  race,  an  an 
nouncement  was  made  that  the  test  would  be  held.  Of 
twenty-one  boats  entered,  only  five  decided  to  stay, 
and  in  the  sheltered  waters  the  crews  set  to  work  on 
the  busy  preparations. 

"  Well,  Jack,"  said  Monte  Bracken,  as  they  went 
down  to  the  landing  wharf  together,  "  this  is  the  kind 
of  weather  that  '11  show  'em  up." 

"  It  certainly  will,"  said  Challoner  grimly.  "  Bet 
stands?" 

"  A  thousand ;  yes,"  said  Bracken  carelessly.  "  But 
winner  to  finish  the  course." 

"  Understood !  Want  to  take  another  five  hundred 
my  tub  comes  in  and  yours  does  n't?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  Jack,  that 's  a  good  bet." 

A  little  flurry  of  rain  came  across  the  troubled  water 
of  the  anchorage,  flinging  sharp  pellets  into  his  eyes. 
He  pulled  down  the  brim  of  his  slicker,  shouted  an 
order  to  the  crew,  and  went  back  toward  the  clubhouse 
on  a  restless  impulse  which  he  did  not  acknowledge 


302  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

to  himself.  Under  the  porch  the  spectators  had  gath 
ered,  the  women  in  great  coats  and  ulsters,  the  veils 
whipping  to  and  fro  about  their  shoulders.  He  saw 
his  brother  and  Claire,  who  came  hurriedly  out  of  the 
crowd. 

"  Is  it  a  race?" 

"  Sure  it 's  a  race,"  he  said  cheerfully. 

"  What  the  devil  are  they  thinking  of  ?  "  said  Allan, 
with  an  oath  under  his  breath.  "  Monte,  you  're  not 
going  to  be  fool  enough  to  try  it?  " 

"  My  dear  Allan,  that 's  just  what  you  can  always 
count  on  my  being,"  he  said  with  a  grin.  "  Want  to 
come  ?  " 

"  Thanks,  no  —  I  prefer  to  stay  behind  and  inherit 
your  property." 

"  You  '11  have  a  chance,"  he  said  instantly.  "  Well, 
the  Water  Sprite  has  n't  a  show,  but  it  '11  be  good 
sport.  You  see,  there  's  a  bet  up,"  he  added,  lowering 
his  voice,  "  and  I  'm  not  the  one  to  drop  out  with  the 
odds  against  me." 

"Do  be  careful,  Monte!"  said  Claire.  She  had 
been  standing  silently  until  now. 

"  Careful  ?  "  said  Allan.  "  He  's  just  as  apt  to  get 
out  under  full  sail  with  a  spinnaker  set." 

"  Well,  no,  hardly  that,"  said  Bracken,  with  a  glance 
at  the  bay,  where  the  blue  waves  with  foaming  crests 
were  storming  from  the  northeast  like  gallant  battal 
ions  surging  to  the  attack. 

"  Do  be  careful !  "  said  Claire  Bracken. 

'  There 's  not  as  much  danger  as  that,"  he  said 
cheerily.  He  glanced  up  the  piazza  and  added,  "  Tell 
Kitty  she  'd  better  hedge ;  the  White  Streak  is  the  boat 
in  a  wind  like  this." 

He  went  into  the  locker  room,  taking  the  long  way 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  303 

around,  his  eyes  eagerly  on  the  crowd.  Irma  and 
Gladys  were  there,  but  Amy  Forrester  had  not  yet 
arrived.  Since  the  night  by  the  breakwater,  he  had 
fought  desperately  to  put  her  from  his  mind.  He 
had  told  himself  that  the  break  was  final,  that  after 
the  words  he  had  pronounced,  no  further  intercourse 
was  possible.  He  had  not  spared  her  in  his  mind.  He 
had  assured  himself  again  and  again  that  it  was  for 
tunate  that  he  had  found  her  out  in  time,  while  yet 
he  could  withdraw  from  the  chasm  of  servitude  which 
opened  at  his  feet.  She  was  like  the  others  he  had 
known,  those  virtuous  wives,  without  constancy  or 
depth,  to  whom  the  passions  they  inspired  were  but  a 
pastime  and  a  variety.  He  had  believed  her  different. 
She  was  not;  the  same  light  emotions  sufficed,  the 
same  dread  of  appearances  bound  her.  He  had  never 
sought  an  intrigue,  but  a  love  which  would  give  pur 
pose  to  his  life.  He  had  deceived  himself  as  he  always 
deceived  himself.  But  when  he  had  heaped  up  all 
these  reproaches  against  her,  when  cruelly  and  bitterly 
he  had  shown  himself  that  she  was  only  inconsequent, 
light,  and  a  creature  of  style  and  fashions,  there  still 
remained  one  thing  he  could  not  destroy  —  the  charm 
that  her  memory  exercised  irresistibly  over  his  imag 
ination.  When  she  was  absent,  the  sun  was  out  of 
the  day  and  the  world  a  vast  and  desert  place. 

"  Why  the  deuce  have  I  got  to  come  up  here  just 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  her,"  he  said  to  himself  angrily, 
"  for  that 's  what  I  'm  doing,  damn  it  —  I  might  as 
well  acknowledge  it !  " 

He  returned  through  the  crowd,  still  seeking  the 
light  and  graceful  figure  which  was  the  thrill  of  the 
day  to  his  eyes,  and  went  down  to  the  wharf,  where 
the  crew  was  waiting  for  him  impatiently. 


304  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Five  minutes  to  the  first  gun,  sir,"  said  Oscar, 
his  sailor. 

"  That 's  enough." 

He  stepped  into  the  dory  and  passed  on  to  the  deck 
of  the  Water  Sprite,  which  was  tugging  at  her  hawser 
like  a  restless  racer.  He  took  the  wheel,  and  the  boat, 
released  from  its  mooring,  shot  across  the  waves.  At 
this  moment  he  looked  up  and  saw  the  Forrester  car 
turning  into  the  club  grounds. 

"  She  has  come !  "  he  thought  joyfully.  "  She  could 
not  stay  away !  " 

"  Don't  know  whether  she  '11  stand  so  much  sail, 
sir/'  said  the  sailor,  with  a  glance  up  at  the  mast. 

"  Don't  think  so  either,  Oscar,"  he  said,  "  but  one 
thing  's  certain :  if  she  can't,  we  have  n't  a  ghost  of  a 
chance  of  winning  this  race,  have  we?  " 

"Well,  damn  it,  but  there  are  other  races!"  said 
Oscar,  mumbling  to  himself. 

"Don't  worry!"  he  said  joyfully.  "I'll  get  you 
back.  What's  the  time?" 

"  Twenty  seconds  more,  sir." 

"  We  '11  tack,  then."  He  shouted  out  his  orders,  the 
zest  of  the  struggle  sending  the  fighting  blood  pulsing 
through  his  veins.  If  the  mast  would  hold,  he  'd  make 
a  bid  for  it  —  now  that  he  knew  she  was  there  watch 
ing.  She  too  had  suffered,  for  in  the  end  she  had  not 
been  able  to  stay  away. 

Amy  Forrester,  in  fact,  had  had  no  intention  of 
coming.  Pretexting  an  indisposition,  she  had  kept  to 
the  cottage  for  days.  She  knew  that  in  the  end  she 
must  see  him,  and  yet  she  recoiled  from  it.  She  had 
waited,  hoping  that  he  would  come,  but  as  each  day 
succeeded  she  realized  that  the  decision  lay  with  her. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  305 

"What  is  left  for  me  to  do?"  she  asked  herself 
again  and  again  in  the  quiet  of  the  waking,  in  the 
hollow  of  the  afternoon,  in  the  long,  tortured  sleep 
lessness  of  the  night.  If  he  had  only  stayed  after  his 
outburst  of  indignation  there  in  the  dark  garden  by 
the  breakwater,  there  could  have  been  but  one  answer. 
But  he  had  gone,  and  now  it  was  not  the  question  of  a 
dramatic  impulse,  but  of  deciding  three  lives  coldly, 
without  emotion,  after  long  consideration.  That  was 
the  difficult  thing  —  to  make  the  decision  herself  and 
not  to  have  it  made  for  her  —  not  to  be  able  to  yield 
to  forces  of  the  moment  which  would  sweep  over  her 
emotions. 

"  What  am  I?  What  sort  of  a  woman  am  I?  "  she 
asked  herself  wearily,  in  the  isolation  she  imposed  on 
herself.  Never  had  she  held  the  mirror  to  her  soul 
and  looked  into  its  clear  verities.  Now,  there  was  no 
escape;  no  subterfuge  would  suffice.  She  could  not 
shift  the  responsibility.  The  decision  lay  in  her  hands 
alone.  "  If  I  see  him  again,"  she  admitted  to  herself, 
"  I  must  go  to  him,  I  must  leave  my  husband.  It 's 
either  that,  or  never  to  see  him  again !  " 

Monte  Bracken  had  told  her  the  truth,  as  Andrew 
in  his  chivalry  had  refused  to  tell  her.  She  counted 
for  nothing  in  this  world.  She  had  only  been  playing 
with  forces  she  did  not  understand.  It  was  all  fright 
fully  immoral.  She  had  seen  it  in  Irma,  in  Gladys  and 
a  hundred  others  —  the  selfishness  and  the  cruelty. 
She  had  never  seen  it  in  herself.  She  had  deluded 
herself  with  sophistries.  She  had  believed  that  she 
sought  only  friendships  and  lulled  her  conscience  with 
the  belief  that  she  ought  to  exercise  a  good  influence 
in  these  intimacies. 

Andrew  was  right,  too,  in  what  he  had  said  and  in 


3o6  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

the  things  he  had  left  unsaid.  She  had  never  counted 
in  his  life.  She  had  been  disloyal.  She  had  allowed 
men  to  make  love  to  her;  more,  she  had  sought  that 
tribute.  She  had  wanted  to  be  surrounded  by  flattery 
and  adulation.  And  the  worst  was,  she  had  never 
intended  to  give  anything  in  return.  She  had  cheated 
always.  The  capturing  of  her  prey  had  been  sufficient 
to  her  needs.  She  had  adored  it  until  suddenly  she 
had  discovered  that  Andrew  was  doing  the  same  thing. 
Then  she  had  been  willing  to  stop,  if  only  he  would 
stop!  That,  too,  had  been  cheating,  and  all  her  re 
proaches,  likewise. 

"  Am  I  as  bad  as  that  ?  What  is  wrong  with  me  ?  " 
she  asked  herself. 

Once  she  had  the  longing  to  rush  over  and  lay  her 
confession  before  Claire  Bracken  —  Claire,  with  her 
calm  and  peace  of  soul,  who  saw  her  without  illusions 
and  without  harshness. 

"  Ah,  but  I  know  what  she  '11  say  to  me,"  she 
thought,  "and  I  can't,  I  can't  go  on  with  Andrew !  It 
isn't  a  question  of  duty  —  of  self-respect;  it  was  a 
blunder  —  a  blunder,  when  neither  of  us  realized  what 
marriage  meant.  Besides,  if  I  did  wish  to  go  on  — 
it  is  too  late.  It  would  n't  be  fair  to  Andrew !  " 

Yet  she  thought  many  times  of  what  Claire  had 
said,  seeking  for  some  qualifying  excuse.  Why  had 
she  been  brought  up  to  believe  that  she  was  a  privileged 
person  ?  Why  had  she  been  taught  life  was  the  pursuit 
of  pleasure?  The  harm  had  been  done  before  she 
had  even  married  Andrew,  in  her  debutante  year,  when 
the  wardrobe  of  a  princess  had  been  lavished  on  her, 
when  she  had  lived  the  disorganized  life  of  a  demi- 
mondaine,  when  week  in  and  week  out  she  had  burned 
up  the  night  until  four,  five  and  six  o'clock  in  the 


VIRTUOUS   WIVES  307 

morning,  and  that  ceaseless,  tumultuous  cramming 
into  the  first  months  of  all  the  pleasures  and  surprises 
that  should  be  spread  through  life,  had  left  in  her  the 
fatal  heritage  of  excitement,  a  craving  to  go  on,  the 
horror  of  being  alone.  The  pursuit  of  pleasure;  that 
was  all  she  had  been  taught  —  that  was  all  she  knew ! 

At  times  when  she  saw  her  own  figure  clearly  she 
shuddered.  What  was  she  to  do  ?  Be  selfish,  be  weak, 
hold  to  her  respectability  and  Andrew?  Suffer  the 
sting  of  humiliation  and  see  Monte  Bracken,  with  his 
fine  scorn,  go  out  of  her  life  ?  Pick  up  the  old  threads, 
play  the  old,  inconsequential  games  again  and  again? 
Find  new  admirers  ?  Be  a  little  more  clever  in  keeping 
them  outside  the  bars  that  would  protect  her  timid 
conscience?  Or  would  she  have  the  strength  to  set 
Andrew  free  and  marry  Monte  Bracken,  defiant  of 
the  world,  but  proud  in  her  self-respect? 

"  But  do  I  love  him  —  really  love  him,  as  real 
women  love?  "  she  asked  herself  in  the  distress  of  her 
mind.  "  Am  I  capable  of  loving  any  one?  " 

And  there  her  debating  with  her  conscience  always 
ended. 

On  the  day  of  the  race  she  had  not  yet  found  her 
answer.  Kitty  and  the  boys,  who  were  down  for  the 
week-end,  had  gone  over,  leaving  her  to  the  solitude 
of  the  house.  Yet  something  Jap  had  said  had  re 
mained  in  her  memory. 

"  Holy  cats,  if  they  race  in  this  gale,  half  of  them 
will  go  down !  " 

"  Race  ?  They  won't  race !  They  are  n't  lunatics !  " 
Tody  had  replied. 

She  knew  enough  of  Monte's  daring  nature  to  know 
that  no  risk  would  hold  him.  She  went  uneasily  out 
on  to  the  little  porch  which  gave  from  her  bedroom. 


3o8  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

The  wind  was  howling  around  the  corner,  tearing  the 
flower  bed  with  its  raking  fingers.  Above,  the  swollen 
clouds  went  bowling  down  the  stormy  heavens,  and 
across  the  bay  white  lashes  fell  upon  the  angry  back 
of  the  waters.  It  was  n't  possible  that  they  would  let 
the  race  go  on!  And  if  they  did?  If  Monte  went  out 
in  bitterness  and  despair  ? 

The  thought  struck  her  cold  with  fear.  She  dressed 
frantically,  and  jumping  into  the  car,  hurried  to  the 
clubhouse.  She  had  hardly  reached  the  crowd  before 
the  starting  gun  boomed  out.  The  next  moment  the 
Water  Sprite  and  the  White  Streak,  gunwales  awash 
and  skippers  high  in  the  sky,  were  sweeping  over  the 
line. 

Those  who  saw  the  race  never  forgot  the  suspense 
of  those  short  hours.  It  was  a  foolhardy  thing  to 
attempt  in  the  gale  that  was  shaking  the  sky,  and  be 
fore  the  first  leg  was  run,  all  but  Challoner  and 
Bracken  had  refused  the  risk  and  had  come  staggering 
back  to  harbor.  The  wind  was  blowing  in  drumming 
puffs,  —  a  gale  from  the  northeast.  The  first  leg  was 
a  reach,  close-hauled.  From  the  clubhouse  top,  where 
the  crowd,  braving  the  flurries  of  rain,  was  massed, 
the  two  boats  could  be  seen  rushing  over  the  crested 
waves.  At  times  in  the  hollow  of  a  trough,  one  or 
the  other  momentarily  sank  from  sight,  and  each  time 
as  the  white  sail  climbed  out  and  up,  a  sigh  of  relief 
came  from  the  crowd. 

Amy  stood  without  cover  from  the  occasional 
splashes  of  rain,  encased  only  in  a  tarpaulin  which 
some  one  —  was  it  Tody,  or  was  it  Jap  ?  —  had  thrown 
about  her.  She  needed  no  one  to  tell  her  of  the  game 
with  death  which  was -being  played  out  there.  The 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  309 

quiet,  the  muttered  solicitude  of  the  crowd,  the  long, 
unflagging  tension,  told  her  all.  Monte  was  out  there 
in  the  agony  of  the  storm.  What  had  she  been  in  his 
going? 

"  Turning  the  first  buoy  now,"  said  a  low  voice. 

"Who's  that  around?" 

"  The  White  Streak  —  no  —  yes !  "  said  some  one 
with  a  telescope. 

"  Monte  's  around,  too,"  said  Allan  Bracken  with 
a  terribly  calm  voice. 

"  That 's  over  —  one  third  's  over !  "  said  Claire. 

"  One  third  's  over,"  Amy  found  herself  repeating. 
She  understood  nothing  of  the  comparative  danger  of 
the  different  legs,  but  she  could  understand  that  one 
third  was  over  —  one  third ! 

She  was  standing  between  Claire  Bracken  and  Irma 
Dellabarre,  drawn  by  a  common  feeling  of  impending 
doom,  the  instinct  of  the  animal  when  the  breath  of 
death  passes  in  the  air.  Their  faces  were  white  and 
staring,  too  —  yet  she  was  not  conscious  of  them. 
Once,  at  a  cry  from  the  crowd,  she  swerved  against 
Irma  without  noticing  it.  One  thought  obsessed  her. 
Could  she  control  herself,  even  —  even  if  the  horrible 
thing  should  happen?  Could  she  stand  there,  as  she 
must,  without  crying  out  and  revealing  all?  She  shut 
her  eyes.  Why  was  not  the  second  third  over?  Far 
off,  two  white  specks,  like  handkerchiefs,  were  dipping 
in  and  out  of  the  whipped  sea,  lost  in  a  sheet  of  foam. 

"  Why  don't  they  get  nearer?  "  she  said  helplessly. 

"  Second  leg,  the  tack  takes  longer,"  said  Claire. 

"  It 's  the  last,  the  run  home  is  the  worst,"  said 
Allan  under  his  breath. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  she  asked  sharply,  turning 
to  scan  his  face. 


310  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

''  The  last  is  running  before  the  wind,"  he  explained 
laboriously.  "  Danger  is  —  " 

"  Hello !  "  some  one  shouted.  "  By  George ! 
Thought  he  was  over  that  time !  " 

"  Danger  is,"  continued  Allan  Bracken,  "  in  possi 
bility  of  jibing,  and  they  're  both  carrying  too  much 
sail  —  " 

"  The  Water  Sprite's  held  her  own  this  leg!  "  said 
a  voice. 

"  They  '11  both  make  it  on  this  tack." 

"Wow!    There  she  goes!" 

"Who's  around?" 

"  The  Water  Sprite,  by  Jove !  " 

"  Look  at  the  wind  grab  her." 

"  Mast  won't  hold  —  never  in  the  world." 

"  The  White  Streak  's  around !  " 

"  She  '11  pick  up  the  distance  now !  " 

"  Look  at  them  come !  " 

"  Two  thirds  —  two  thirds  gone,"  said  Claire ;  then 
to  her  husband,  "  Is  this,  the  last  leg,  really  the 
worst?" 

"  Yes,"  he  said  shortly,  "  with  Monte  at  the  wheel !  " 

Amy  closed  her  eyes,  afraid  to  look.  A  prayer 
went  up  in  her  tortured  mind.  If  only  he  would  come 
back  safely  —  only  back  to  life  again,  she  would  go 
to  him  openly.  Anything  rather  than  to  have  the 
horror  of  remorse  on  her  conscience !  " 

"  Topsail 's  gone  —  torn  to  tatters !  " 

"Whose?" 

"  Water  Sprite." 

From  the  bending  peak  the  split  sail  streamed  out  in 
white  jets.  The  Water  Sprite  was  carrying  too  much 
sail,  much  too  much  sail  for  such  a  gale  as  this,  but  it 
was  her  only  chance  to  win,  for  the  White  Streak, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  311 

bigger  and  steadier,  was  running  away  from  her.  At 
times  the  booms  went  soaring  into  the  air,  threatening 
to  jack-knife,  and  each  time  an  involuntary  cry  went 
up  from  the  waiting  spectators.  Amy  stood,  eyes  shut, 
unable  to  face  the  suspense  of  the  awful  last  moments, 
feeling  the  perilous  approach  from  the  excitement 
about  her  and  the  voluble  comments. 

"  What  the  deuce  is  Monte  standing  in  for  like 
that?" 

"  He  's  pulling  up." 

"  Sure,  but  he  can't  make  the  mark  without  going 
around,  and  then  where  '11  he  be?  " 

"  That 's  true,  but  he 's  figuring  on  some  time 
allowance." 

"  Even  then,  the  White  Streak  will  be  over  be 
fore  —  " 

"  She 's  over  now,"  cut  in  some  one,  as  a  gun 
boomed  out  and  some  mechanical  voice  announced 
"  12:42  exactly." 

"  By  George,  Monte  's  sailed  a  great  race !  " 

"  Yes,  but  he  has  n't  a  chance !  " 

"Glory  Hallelujah!  Look  at  the  White  Streak 
run!" 

The  White  Streak,  first  over  the  line,  swept  like  the 
flash  of  a  searchlight  into  the  harbor,  running  wild, 
the  crew  bailing  desperately,  Challoner  cramped 
against  the  wheel.  Down  the  course  the  Water  Sprite, 
which  had  made  the  second  buoy  a  minute  behind  its 
handicap,  came  tearing  over  the  frothing  sea,  carrying 
every  inch  of  canvas  that  the  mast  would  hold.  And 
presently  Monte's  intention  became  plain. 

"  By  the  Lord  Harry,  he  's  going  to  jibe !  " 

"In  this  gale?    Never!" 

"  He  is  —  he  's  going  to  jibe !    Watch  him !  " 


3i2  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Good-by,  Monte,  then." 

Something  beyond  Amy's  control  forced  open  her 
eyes.  She  understood  that  this  was  the  decisive  mo 
ment.  She  looked  down  over  the  slated  roofs,  beyond 
the  neck  of  land  into  the  yellowish  sea,  into  the  saucer 
of  fury,  where  the  Water  Sprite,  like  an  inhuman, 
frightened  monster,  was  rushing  on.  She  could  see 
the  crew  bailing  frantically,  she  could  see  even  his  face, 
a  white  smutch  in  the  rushing  confusion.  He  was 
going  to  attempt  something,  something  foolhardy  and 
like  Monte  Bracken,  the  dramatic.  And  the  next  mo 
ment  it  came.  In  order  to  pick  up  precious  seconds 
and  not  to  pinch  her,  Bracken  had  come  down  under 
full  sail  to  the  leeward  of  the  mark.  To  come  around 
and  take  his  sail  on  the  other  side  and  thus  around  the 
mark,  meant  the  loss  of  the  seconds  he  needed.  One 
hundred  yards  from  the  finish  he  prepared  to  jibe  her 
in  a  gale  that  was  blowing  thirty  to  thirty-five  miles 
an  hour. 

Some  one,  in  the  tension  of  the  moment,  grabbed 
Amy's  arm  in  impulsive  excitement.  A  shout  went 
up,  as  the  sail,  under  the  deft  handling  of  the  crew, 
came  slowly  in. 

"  Look  out  —  look  out  now !  " 

"  Here  she  comes !  " 

"Wow!" 

With  a  report  like  a  cannon  the  sail  shivered,  jibed 
and  filled,  shaking  the  boat  as  though  it  were  a  leaf. 
They  heard  Monte's  shouted  oath  in  the  wind.  The 
next  moment  mast,  sail  and  all  went  by  the  board !  A 
cry  went  up  from  the  onlookers.  Irma  Dellabarre  fell 
against  her  heavily  and  slipped  to  the  floor.  What 
had  happened?  Amy  saw  her,  and  then  her  eyes  met 
Claire  Bracken's. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  313 

"What's  happened?  Is  he  —  is  he  dead?"  she 
said,  staring  at  her. 

"  I  don't  —  I  can't  see!" 

"  Man  overboard !  "  cried  a  voice. 

Some  one  pushed  them  aside,  jumping  up  on  the 
chair. 

"  No,  no !  I  can  make  them  out  —  they  're  all  there, 
I  think  —  one,  two  —  four  —  five !  " 

"  Boat 's  smashed  to  hell,  though !  " 

"  Clean  ripped  to  pieces." 

A  piece  of  the  sail,  whipped  into  shreds,  slapped 
up  against  the  roof,  rose  and  slid  away  over  their 
heads,  a  thing  that  a  moment  before  had  been  over  his 
head.  The  Water  Sprite,  with  the  crew  clinging  to  its 
sides,  drifted  slowly  over  the  line  —  half  a  minute  too 
late! 

"  Is  —  is  he  safe?  "  she  said  faintly. 

"  Yes,  now  he  is  safe,"  said  Claire  quietly. 

And  again,  woman  to  woman,  they  looked  into  each 
other's  eyes,  while  about  them,  relieved  of  its  tension, 
the  crowd  grew  vociferous. 

"  By  George !    Just  made  it  at  that !  " 

"  Another  five  minutes  and  they  'd  have  sunk." 

"  Spunky  devil." 

"  Fool  thing  to  do." 

"  Bet  up,  I  suppose." 

Amy  Forrester  went  down  with  the  crowd,  elbowed 
and  carried  along  down  to  the  pier,  where  the  men 
were  coming  up,  —  Challoner  and  the  crew  of  the 
White  Streak,  dripping  and  exhausted,  and  presently 
up  the  steps  came  Monte,  acclaimed  and  feted  — 
Monte,  who  had  done  the  dramatic  thing,  but  as  al 
ways,  had  come  in  second.  She  went  to  him  directly 
and  held  out  her  hand  resolutely,  without  flinching. 


3 14  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

His  eyes  had  been  waiting  for  her  from  the  first.  They 
said  no  word  —  her  look  and  the  answering  compre 
hension  in  his  were  enough.  Each  felt  the  solemnity 
of  the  act  —  the  decision  once  and  for  all. 


IX 

TO  Andrew  Forrester,  too,  the  situation  had  grown 
intolerable.  After  the  explanation  with  his  wife 
he  had  waited  day  by  day  for  the  only  decision  it 
seemed  possible  that  she  could  make.  Any  other  —  to 
go  on  living  under  the  same  roof  when  they  had  come 
to  recognize  that  they  had  ceased  to  love  each  other  — 
was  in  his  philosophy  a  spiritual  slavery.  Yet  the 
thought  that  she  shrank  with  pain  from  the  decisive 
word  hurt  him  more  than  he  could  have  believed.  He 
had  loved  her,  she  had  been  part  of  his  life;  he  could 
not  remain  indifferent  to  her.  That  she  still  hesitated, 
he  ascribed  not  to  any  vestige  of  affection  for  him, 
but  to  a  timidity  before  the  censureship  of  that  world 
whose  vassal  she  had  become.  Each  day  in  the  mail 
he  looked  eagerly  for  a  letter  from  her  that  would  tell 
him  that  her  decision  had  been  made.  The  suspense 
wore  on  him.  At  times  he  feared  for  his  own  strength, 
that  he  couM  be  tricked  sentimentally  into  a  belief  that 
he  still  loved  her. 

Then  there  was  the  other  woman  to  whom  in  his  loy 
alty  he  felt  bound.  She  had  her  right  to  happiness, 
too.  For  never  for  a  moment  had  he  a  doubt  that  once 
Irma  knew  him  free  to  act,  she  too  would  free  herself 
from  the  long  horror  in  which  she  had  lived.  Della- 
barre's  condition  had  become  so  shockingly  apparent 
to  every  one  that  no  action  of  hers  could  surprise. 
What  wore  on  him  was  that  everything  in  his  situation 
was  horribly  false,  the  assumed  attitude  before  the 


316  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

world  to  Amy,  the  mask  he  was  forced  to  wear  when 
he  offered  his  hand  to  Monte  Bracken  or  Rudolph  Della- 
barre,  and  last,  the  prohibition  Irma  had  placed  on  their 
intimate  meetings.  Every  day  that  this  masquerade 
continued  it  seemed  to  him  that  all  of  them  lost  some 
thing  of  their  pride  —  were  a  little  soiled  by  ugly 
contact. 

He  arrived  at  Chilton  three  days  after  the  yacht  race. 
That  night  there  would  be  the  weekly  dance  at  the 
yacht  club,  and  he  had  come  down  impatiently,  know 
ing  that  there  at  least  he  would  have  a  chance  to  meet 
Irma  Dellabarre.  An  hour  after  his  arrival  Amy  had 
said  the  words  to  him  which  he  had  been  waiting  for, 
and  yet  which  struck  him  cold  with  their  suddenness. 
She  had  chosen  the  moment  when  the  porch  was  gay 
with  callers  at  the  tea  hour,  to  leave  her  guests  and 
signal  him. 

"  Little  private  consultation  with  the  head  of  the 
house,"  she  said  in  laughing  explanation. 

They  went  down  the  piazza  and  turned  the  corner, 
where  they  were  hidden  from  the  chaffing  and  the  gos 
sip  which  buzzed  behind  them. 

"  I  wanted  to  say  to  you,  Andrew,"  she  said,  without 
preliminaries,  "  that  I  have  come  to  your  point  of  view. 
I  have  decided  that  there  is  nothing  else  to  do  but  to 
separate  and  divorce.  That  is  what  you  wish,  is  n't 
it?" 

He  was  taken  back  by  the  suddenness  of  her  an 
nouncement.  Why  had  she  chosen  such  a  formal  mo 
ment  for  so  mortal  a  thing?  To  steel  herself  against 
crying  out?  To  surround  herself  with  the  discipline  of 
the  world  —  her  world  ?  That  must  be  it. 

She  repeated  her  question,  looking  up  into  his  face. 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  1  wish,"  he  said  gravely.    He  felt 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  317 

embarrassed  before  her  calm.  He  added  awkwardly, 
"  Thank  you." 

"  It  is  best  for  both  —  the  only  thing.  What  I  have 
decided  to  do  I  will  let  you  know  later." 

"  When?  "  he  asked  gravely. 

"  Perhaps  to-morrow,"  she  said,  hesitating.  "  And 
perhaps  sooner." 

He  looked  at  her,  wondering,  inclined  to  question, 
restrained  by  a  feeling  of  generosity. 

"  I  have  been  rather  a  failure  with  you,  Andrew," 
she  said  hurriedly,  and  then  stopped,  a  lump  in  her 
throat. 

"  Don't !  "  he  said  hastily.  "  That 's  all  too  trivial 
now.  Let 's  be  generous  —  both  of  us  —  now." 

"  Yes,  of  course  —  "  She  turned  away,  started  to 
speak,  shook  her  head;  and  he,  seized  with  the  cold 
horror  of  seeing  her  tears,  said  hastily : 

"  Be  careful,  Amy  —  they  're  —  they  're  here." 

"Yes,  thank  God  for  that!" 

"  And  it 's  no  use  saying  anything  —  we  under 
stand." 

"  Of  course  we  do." 

She  stood  a  moment,  her  hands  resting  on  the  balus 
trade,  smiling  down  at  the  canterbury-bells  which 
stretched  their  dainty  cups  up  to  her.  Then  she  left 
him  and  went  humming  back  to  her  guests.  He  had 
no  such  power  over  himself.  He  turned  and  went  to 
his  room.  He  did  not  attempt  to  see  her  again  alone. 
They  dined  in  company  of  others  and  went  off  to  the 
club.  It  was  all  distressingly  tragic  —  and  so  needless. 
He  had  not  expected  to  suffer  as  he  did,  nor  that  she 
would  quiver  under  it.  Whatever  else  came,  they  had 
been  man  and  wife  —  and  there  had  been  moments  of 
unshaken  faith! 


3i8  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

They  dined  at  the  Challoner's  and  went  over  to  the 
Yacht  Club  for  the  dance.  Amy's  composure  amazed 
him.  Whatever  her  faults,  she  met  a  crisis  like  a  thor 
oughbred.  He  had  endured  the  dinner  gloomily,  con 
scious  of  his  equivocal  position,  exaggerating  the  malice 
that  he  believed  in  the  eyes  of  every  one.  At  the  Club 
he  drifted  away  into  the  billiard  rooms,  where  the 
smoke  was  hazy  and  the  green  tables  under  the  hooded 
electric  lights  looked  like  green  valleys  dropped  far 
below  him.  The  talk  was  all  of  war  in  this  shattering 
first  week  of  August,  1914,  and  in  the  stupefaction  of 
the  imagination  social  lines  disappeared.  He  listened 
to  a  group  in  the  corner  nearest  him,  who  were  arguing 
that  a  conflict  was  inevitable,  and  from  time  to  time, 
as  phrases  detached  themselves,  he  frowned. 

"What  do  you  think?"  said  a  man  next  to  him, 
whom  he  did  not  know. 

"  There  won't  be  any  war,"  he  said  obstinately. 
"  Germany 's  trying  to  bluff  France  into  deserting 
[Russia." 

"  Paper  to-night  says  they  've  started  through 
Belgium." 

"  That 's  only  a  feeler,  too,"  he  said,  frowning. 
"  When  they  find  England  's  in  it  too,  it  '11  all  sputter 
out.  The  Germans  are  n't  fools  enough  to  tackle  that 
combination  —  you  '11  see !  " 

"  Hope  you  're  right,"  said  his  neighbor  nervously. 

"  Of  course  I  'm  right,"  he  assured  himself.  '  The 
thing  was  too  incredible  —  two  thirds  of  civilization 
drenched  in  blood !  Never !  " 

"  If  it  did,  think  what  would  strike  the  stock  mar 
ket  !  "  said  his  neighbor  with  a  huge  sigh. 

Forrester  had  been  thinking  of  that,  too.  More  than 
once  in  the  past  days  he  had  felt  an  impulse  to  sell  out 


VIRTUOUS   WIVES  319 

and  take  his  losses.  But  he  was  not  a  speculator  who 
plays  for  the  shifting  of  the  wind.  He  was  an  investor 
who  had  been  speculating  —  an  investor  who  held  to 
one  idea  obstinately.  Then,  too,  the  unfolding  drama 
of  his  internal  life  had  obsessed  him  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  other  considerations.  He  was  convinced  of  the 
sanity  of  his  judgment  when  so  many  others  were  swept 
by  hysteria,  yet  the  doubt  that  rose  shrilly  about  him 
was  disconcerting.  The  stakes  were  heavily  against 
him  if  the  incredible  should  happen.  He  rose  and 
drifted  back  in  search  of  Irma.  He  jostled  some  one 
as  he  avoided  an  outstretched  cue,  and  turned  to  apolo 
gize.  It  was  Rudolph  Dellabarre,  of  all  men ! 

The  accidental  meeting  gave  him  an  unpleasant  sen 
sation,  for  his  nature  was  a  frank  one,  and,  coveting 
what  he  did,  it  was  repugnant  to  him  to  face  the  weak 
eyes  which  had  the  right  to  accuse  him. 

"  Beg  pardon.  How  are  you  ?  "  he  said  gruffly,  pass 
ing  hurriedly,  to  avoid  giving  his  hand. 

"Wonder  what  he'll  do?"  he  thought,  despite 
himself.  Then  he  snapped  his  fingers  angrily.  What 
became  of  Dellabarre  was  the  one  thing  he  did  not 
wish  to  consider.  After  all,  Dellabarre  was  a  failure, 
a  miserable,  weak  failure,  and  must  take  his  punish 
ment. 

"  We  have  a  right  to  our  happiness,"  he  said,  think 
ing  of  Irma.  "  Even  for  the  children's  sake,  she  should 
leave  him ! " 

If  only  he,  the  husband,  had  been  of  man's  stature 
and  strength,  if  he  had  the  sensation  of  taking  her  from 
an  equal  — 

The  feeling  was  so  strong  that  he  could  not  go  from 
him  to  her;  the  thing  was  repugnant.  He  saw  Irma, 
caught  her  eye  and  smiled,  and  his  face,  untrained  in 


320  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

dissembling,  showed  too  plainly  his  happiness.  Then 
he  turned  for  a  stroll  on  the  piazza.  Again  Dellabarre 
crossed  his  path. 

"  That 's  strange !  Why  is  he  here  ?  When  he  's  in 
that  condition  can't  he  stay  at  home?"  he  thought 
angrily.  "  Confound  him,  is  he  following  me?  " 

He  seated  himself  on  the  railing,  crossed  his  arms, 
and,  to  convince  himself,  watched  Dellabarre.  who  con 
tinued  aimlessly  to  winder  back  and  forth,  avoiding 
recognition.  Finally  he  perceived  Forrester's  look, 
straightened  up  and  went  off  hurriedly. 

It  was  almost  midnight  when  Forrester  finally  found 
his  opportunity  in  the  thinning  crowd. 

"  I  Ve  been  waiting  to  see  you,"  he  began  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  Be  careful/'  she  said  in  warning,  "  and  don't  show 
so  much  on  your  face;  others  are  looking." 

"  Walk  outside,  then.  It 's  vital  —  I  Ve  got  to 
talk  to  you !  " 

She  hesitated,  searching  a  moment  in  the  crowd  with 
an  unease  which  she  hid  behind  her  fan,  before  taking 
his  arm  and  moving  down  to  the  shelter  of  the  summer- 
house  that  jutted  over  the  water.  From  the  first  look 
into  his  eyes  she  had  guessed,  not  what  news  he  brought 
her,  but  that  the  inevitable  moment  had  come  when  she 
would  have  to  set  him  right,  readjust  him  to  her  own 
changed  caprices.  She  did  not  like  these  inevitable 
moments  of  reckoning,  that  always  left  their  little  sting. 
She  would  have  avoided  explanations  altogether,  only 
she  was  afraid  of  the  crudity  of  his  nature,  afraid  of 
the  social  blunders  he  might  commit. 

"  Well,  now  for  it !  "  she  said  to  herself,  summoning 
up  all  her  wits.  After  all,  he  was  a  man  and  could  be 
handled  like  others,  without  ruffling  her  moral  coiffure. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  321 

Distressing  scenes  were  so  mussing  —  and  she  had  the 
feline  need  of  appearing  neat  in  her  own  eyes  —  and 
in  the  world's. 

"  At  last!  "  he  began  precipitately. 

"  Be  careful,  Andrew ! "  she  said  in  warning. 
"  Voices  carry  over  the  water.  It 's  rather  imprudent." 

"  Imprudent?  " 

"  There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  talk  about  us." 

He  broke  in,  sweeping  aside  trivialities. 

"  Well,  it 's  done ;  we  separate  and  divorce !  " 

It  came  to  her  as  a  shock. 

"I  —  I  did  n't  believe  she  would,"  she  said  slowly. 
This  complicated  the  situation  decidedly. 

"  She  has  and  —  I  admit  it  —  she  's  been  very  de 
cent.  Well,  you  can  understand  what  this  means  to 
me." 

She  felt  the  demand  that  was  coming,  and  sought 
desperately  to  turn  it.  She  had  long  ago  realized  her 
true  feelings,  as  she  always  did  after  a  little  pardonable 
self-deception  in  the  first  delights  of  a  new  adventure. 
She  was  not  insensible  to  the  electric  quality  of  his  vital 
ity  and  stubborn  strength.  Free,  she  might  have  mar 
ried  him.  The  trouble  was  that  she  had  adopted  an 
attitude  toward  him  that  she  had  found  a  constant 
effort  to  maintain  —  the  attitude  of  the  maternal,  min 
istering  woman.  Frankly,  it  bored  her  now.  Curi 
ously  enough,  w7hen  she  examined  herself  dispassion 
ately,  she  admitted  with  a  laugh  that,  of  the  two,  it 
was  Amy  who  was  necessary  to  her. 

The  game  had  interested  her.  Now  that  she  had 
won,  all  her  sympathy  was  with  Amy  —  the  sympathy 
of  one  woman  of  the  world  toward  another.  That 
Amy  had  taken  it  so  to  heart  weighed  on  her  con 
science.  She  had  revenged  herself  for  Amy's  trespass- 


322  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

ing,  and  now  she  felt  kindly  disposed.  Then  she  missed 
her;  she  was  sympathetic,  a  good  companion,  a  truly 
intimate  friend  —  and  intimate  friends  are  rarer  than 
adorers,  and  harder  to  replace. 

"  You  have  suffered  a  great  deal,"  she  said  mechani 
cally,  still  seeking  her  attitude.  "  I  am  glad  —  very 
glad  for  your  sake !  " 

"  The  last  weeks  have  been  hideous.  I  felt  every 
thing  I  did  was  a  lie.  Well,  the  thing  is  cleared  up. 
I  've  not  said  anything  to  you  until  I  knew  I  had  the 
right,  Irma.  I  respect  you  too  much,  but,  well  —  I 
guess  we  both  understand!  Now  I  want  you  to  end 
this  hell  you  've  been  living  in !  " 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  said  faintly. 

"  Leave  your  husband  and  start  a  new  life.  The  rest 
is  easy.  There  is  n't  a  court  in  the  world  would  refuse 
you  a  divorce !  " 

"  Divorce !  "  she  cried,  so  surprised  that  she  blurted 
out  the  truth.  "  Oh,  never !  I  could  n't  do  that !  " 

He  stopped  point-blank,  not  believing  his  ears. 

"  I  can't  —  I  can't !  "  she  cried,  recoiling  as  though 
she  were  clearing  her  dirty  skirts  from  the  filth  of  a 
threatening  scandal.  "  I  never  thought  of  such  a 
thing!" 

In  the  darkness  she  felt  that  he  was  staring  at  her, 
so  still  that  she  could  not  even  hear  the  taking  of  his 
breath.  Alarmed  at  this  ominous  silence,  she  laid  her 
hand  on  his  arm. 

"  But,  Andrew,  why  ?  What  made  you  believe  that  ? 
I  never  thought  of  such  a  thing  —  I  never  said  a 
word." 

Still  he  made  no  answer. 

"  He  is  suffering,"  she  thought,  and  her  emotions  in 
clined  her  to  pity.  She  would  have  the  tooth  out  and 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  323 

the  consolation  afterward.  "If  we  were  free,  both 
free,  to-day,  of  course  I  'd  marry  you  —  you  know 
that.  But  that 's  not  the  point !  " 

"  What  is  the  point  ?  "  he  said  brusquely. 

"  Why,  other  things.  We  are  not  living  in  a  prairie. 
There  are  my  friends  —  my  position  in  society  —  what 
people  would  say." 

"  Does  that  mean  anything  to  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course  —  everything." 

He  put  his  head  down  into  his  hands  and  began  to 
laugh  —  a  laugh  that  made  her  shudder  at  the  nudity 
of  her  soul  which  she  had  exposed  to  him. 

"  Listen,  Andrew,"  she  said,  pleading  against  this 
silent  arraignment.  "  Don't  think  I  don't  care.  I 
never  meant  to  do  you  harm.  I  'm  weak,  perhaps  — 
but  that 's  what  I  am.  I  am  what  my  surroundings 
have  made  me ;  I  can't  be  different." 

"  And  I  am  a  parvenu,"  he  said  mercilessly. 

"  No,  no,"  she  protested.  "  You  are  much  finer 
than  I  am,  than  we  all  are.  And  then  —  and  then  —  " 
she  said  incoherently,  "  there  are  the  children  —  " 

"  Of  course,  the  children,"  he  said  dryly. 

"  Oh,  Andrew,  don't  be  angry  with  me.  I  can't  help 
it  if  I  am  as  I  am.  If  you  despise  me  I  don't  know 
how  I  shall  go  on.  You  don't  know  —  you  don't  know 
what  it  is.  You  can't  understand.  You  force  me  to 
say  what  is  terrible  —  what  I  hoped  you  'd  spare 
me  —  " 

"  And  what  is  that  ?  "  he  said,  in  the  tone  of  a 
prosecuting  attorney. 

She  hesitated  a  long  moment,  and  then  she  laid  her 
hand  over  his. 

"  Wait!  "  she  said  in  a  tragic  whisper.  "  It  '11  only 
be  a  short  time  now." 


324  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

He  looked  at  her  and  saw  her  as  she  was.  She  felt 
again  the  baring  of  her  soul  before  him,  and  she 
struggled  to  hide  behind  the  cloak  of  plausibility. 

"  It 's  terrible,  what  I  Ve  said ;  but  that  I  've  been 
willing  to  say  it  should  convince  you  —  " 

"Of  what?" 

"  That  I  care,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice.  "  All  I  ask 
is  to  be  protected.  Do  this  as  a  man  of  the  world 
would  do  it,  Andrew,  and  all  will  come  out  in  the 
end." 

"  I  see." 

She  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief,  assuring  herself  that 
she  had  convinced  him. 

"  You  are  such  a  child  in  worldly  matters,  Andrew," 
she  said  softly.  "  A  man  can  stand  up  against  slander. 
But  think  what  it  would  mean  to  me  just  at  present 
to  have  my  name  dragged  through  the  mud." 

"  And,  of  course  —  the  children,"  he  added. 

She  drew  back,  started  to  speak,  and  stopped. 

At  this  moment,  outside  on  the  gravel  path  they 
heard  a  crunching  sound. 

"  Say  something  —  talk  to  me  —     '  she  whispered. 

"  Despite  which,"  he  said,  raising  his  voice,  "  I 
am  certain  that  England  cannot  stand  quietly  by 
and  —  " 

In  the  darkness  the  steps  came  nearer. 

"  Hello,  is  that  you,  Rudy?  "  said  Irma,  breaking  in. 
"  I  'm  here  with  Andrew." 

The  steps  came  to  them,  and  in  the  blurred  light  a 
short  figure  loomed  in  the  entrance  to  the  summer- 
house. 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go  home  now,  Irma  ?  "  said  her 
husband,  and  the  voice  that  reached  them  quavered 
unsteadily. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  325 

"  Goodness,  no !  So  early?  "  she  cried,  jumping  up. 
"  Don't  worry.  Andrew  's  here.  He  '11  take  me  home ; 
you  need  n't  wait,  dear." 

Andrew  Forrester  stood  up. 

"  You  '11  have  to  excuse  me,"  he  said.  "  I  'm  off 
early  to-morrow.  I  'm  turning  in  now  myself." 

For  a  moment  no  one  spoke.  Had  she  dared  she 
would  have  touched  his  arm  in  mute  entreaty. 

"  Well,"  she  said  at  length,  in  a  tired  voice,  "  if 
every  one  's  going,  I  suppose  I  might  as  well.  Is  the 
launch  here,  Rudy?" 

"  Yes  —  here,"  he  said  thickly. 

"  We  can  put  Andrew  down  at  his  wharf." 

"  Thanks,  my  car  is  here.  No  need  to  trouble  you," 
he  said  obstinately. 

They  had  left  the  summer-house,  making  for  the 
lanterns  of  the  landing.  She  delayed  purposely,  letting 
her  husband  pass  ahead. 

"  Do  come,"  she  said  quickly.  "  I  'm  afraid  of  him 
lately  —  terribly  afraid." 

"  I  think  you  worry  unnecessarily  about  —  Rudy," 
he  said  slowly. 

She  stopped  and  caught  his  sleeve  in  the  darkness. 

"  You  hate  me,  don't  you?  " 

He  made  no  answer. 

"  I  wish  I  were  different,"  she  said  plaintively.  "  I 
wish  —  I  wish  it  could  have  gone  on  just  as  we  were, 
without  any  one  knowing  —  " 

"  Don't !"  he  cut  in  harshly. 

"  I  must  see  you !  " 

"Why?"  he  answered,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders. 

"  You  don't  understand." 

"  The  trouble  is,  I  do  understand  —  too  much !  " 


326  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

They  were  at  the  launch  now.  There  was  nothing 
for  her  to  do  but  to  accept  his  hand  and  get  in. 

"  Not  coming?  "  said  Dellabarre  from  the  stern. 

"  No,  thank  you,"  he  said  loudly.  "  Good  night, 
Irma.  Good  night,  Dellabarre." 

"  Good-by,  Forrester !  " 

The  husband's  voice  alone  replied,  and  the  note  of 
rising  excitement  made  him  stop  short.  He  turned 
back  uneasily.  Was  Dellabarre  really  worse  than 
usual  ?  Irma  had  half  risen  from  her  seat. 

"  Rudy  —  it 's  awfully  rough !  Do  you  think  we  're 
safe?"  * 

"Sit  down!" 

The  command  rang  out.  The  water  widened  be 
tween  the  boat  and  the  dock.  The  motor  spun  and 
began  its  chugging  iteration.  The  next  moment  the 
curtain  of  the  night  dropped  between  them.  Forrester 
stood  listening.  He  heard  again  Irma's  voice  in  plead 
ing,  once,  twice,  more  faintly.  Then  the  chugging  of 
the  motor  dwindled  away. 

He  called  up  his  car  and  went  directly  home. 
Gregory  was  up,  waiting,  and  in  his  hand  a  letter 
which  he  seemed  to  have  been  holding  before  him 
for  hours. 

"  Mrs.  Forrester,  sir,"  he  said,  stammering. 

"Well,  what?" 

"  Mrs.  Forrester  left  —  was  called  suddenly  to 
town  —  She  said  I  was  to  give  this  letter  to 
you." 

"  All  right,  Gregory,"  he  said  gently.  "  Give  it  to 
me,  and  don't  worry.  I  know  all  about  it." 

He  took  the  letter  and  went  up  to  his  room. 

"  I  know  what  that  means,"  he  said  aloud. 

He  sat  down  and  opened  the  letter. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  327 

"  Andrew  —  I  have  chosen  this  way.  I  am 
leaving  openly,  so  that  you  can  have  your  divorce 
for  desertion.  It  is  only  right  —  for  it 's  been 
my  fault.  Do  try  to  think  a  little  kindly  of  me  if 
you  can  —  and  be  careful  —  do  be  careful  what 
you  do  now.  You  have  the  right  to  be  happy. 

AMY." 


X 

A  T  ten  o'clock  Monte  Bracken  had  arrived  in  his 
4  *•  automobile,  and  five  minutes  later  Morley,  pale 
and  frightened,  had  brought  down  her  mistress'  lug 
gage  and  seen  to  its  storing.  Bracken,  who  remained 
in  the  back  seat  without  descending,  made  no  offer  of 
explanation. 

"  Good  evening,  Morley." 

"  Good  evening,  sir,"  she  had  replied,  and  to  herself 
she  thought,  "  He  looks  more  like  a  ghost  than  she 
does." 

"  Put  the  bags  in  front." 

"  Yes,  sir.  Mrs.  Forrester  said  to  say  she  'd  be 
right  down." 

"  Very  well." 

It  was  all  done  quite  openly.  There  could  be  no 
question  of  what  was  happening.  Gregory,  who  was 
aiding  with  the  bags,  did  not  dare  to  question  Mr. 
Bracken's  chauffeur,  even  with  his  eyes.  Among  the 
servants  was  the  terrified  calm,  the  panic  of  all  the 
senses,  that  comes  below  stairs  with  the  approach  of  a 
catastrophe  above.  Morley  hesitated  as  though  half 
expecting  some  explanation  would  be  volunteered  — 
some  plausible  lie  that  would  deceive  no  one.  Then 
she  ran  back  upstairs  hurriedly,  out  of  breath. 

Amy,  cloaked  and  veiled,  was  waiting  by  the  trunks. 
She  had  been  entirely  calm  and  matter-of-fact  until 
now,  but  at  the  last  'moment  her  fingers  faltered  on 


"  You  will  join  me  later  with  the  trunks/'  said  her 
mistress  slowly.      Page  329- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  329 

the  keys.  Try  as  she  might,  she  could  not  manage  the 
lock.  " 

"  The  key  sticks ;  lock  the  trunks,"  she  said  hastily. 

Morley  obeyed.  One  lock  stuck.  She  was  quite  a 
moment  before  she  rose. 

"  You  will  join  me  later  with  the  trunks/'  said 
her  mistress  slowly.  "  I  will  telegraph  you  in  a  day 
or  so.  You  understand?  " 

"Yes,  Madame  — yes." 

"  That  is  all  now,"  she  said,  looking  around  and 
going  over  to  the  desk.  She  took  up  the  letter  she  had 
written  Andrew.  "  You  will  give  this  to  Mr.  Forrester 
immediately  when  he  returns.  Or,  no  —  you  need  not 
stay  up;  Gregory  will  attend  to  that." 

She  gave  the  letter  to  Morley,  who  stood  transfixed, 
turning  it  over  in  her  hand. 

"Well,  I  am  quite  calm,"  she  thought.  "It's 
strange,  I  am  doing  something  that  is  going  to  upset 
everything,  and  I  donjt  feel  as  though  it  were  anything 
out  of  the  ordinary.  I  am  calm,  and  I  know  just  what 
I  am  doing." 

Nevertheless,  as  she  was  descending  the  stairs,  Mor 
ley  came  running  after  her  with  her  handbag,  which 
she  had  forgotten.  She  took  it  with  a  first  feeling  of 
agitation.  She  was  annoyed  to  have  betrayed  an  emo 
tion  before  a  servant  —  emotion  which  she  was  cer 
tain  she  did  not  feel. 

She  passed  through  the  hallway.  Outside,  standing 
by  the  door,  Monte  was  waiting  for  her.  She  nodded, 
took  his  hand  and  stepped  immediately  into  the  car. 
Each  instant  seemed  long  and  horribly  decisive.  She 
heard  them  going  as  though  a  clock  were  ticking  them 
off.  He  entered,  closing  the  door. 

"  Well,  I  am  here,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice. 


330  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  You  are  quite  —  quite  sure  ?  " 

"  Absolutely." 

It  never  occurred  to  her  that  he  also  might  have 
been  hesitating  before  the  cost,  before  >vhat  he  too 
might  have  to  face.  She  was  not  thinking  of  him 
at  all,  only  herself  was  important.  The  one  thing 
that  was  important  was  that  she  should  prove  to 
herself  that  she  had  the  heroism  to  make  the  great 
sacrifice. 

"  Drive  on !  "  she  heard  him  say.  The  next  moment 
they  were  moving  —  out  from  the  region  of  light  into 
the  darkness  ahead. 

"  Well,  it 's  over  —  I  have  had  the  courage,"  she 
said  to  herself.  "  It 's  decided  now.  I  wonder  what 
they '11  say?" 

From  the  moment  she  had  come  to  him  at  the  edge 
of  the  pier  and  held  out  her  hand,  it  had  all  been 
settled.  It  could  not  be  otherwise.  She  had  seen  him 
again  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after,  and  all  had 
been  said.  It  was  out  on  the  veranda  of  the  Chal- 
loner's,  where  they  had  met  for  dinner. 

'  You  know  what  it  meant  when  I  came  to  you  the 
other  day  ?  "  she  said  directly. 

"  I  know." 

"  I  came  because  I  could  not  help  it  —  because  I 
found  I  could  not  live  without  you." 

"  I  too  —  "  he  began  hurriedly. 

"  Yes,  I  know  —  I  saw,"  she  said,  nodding. 
"  Monte,  all  that  you  said  of  me  was  true  —  at  least, 
was  true  then.  Now  I  ask  only  one  thing  of  you." 

He  looked  at  her  apprehensively,  struck  by  the  note 
of  exaltation  in  her  manner. 

"  I  want  to  leave  openly  with  you.    I  want  the  world 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  331 

to  know  that  it  is  my  act  —  my  responsibility,  and  that 
I  am  not  afraid  to  take  it  on  myself." 

He  was  silent  a  long  moment. 

"Do  you  realize  all  this  would  mean?"  he  said 
slowly. 

"  Yes,  all,"  she  said  firmly.  "  But  I  am  tired  of 
cheating,  tired  of  being  just  what  you  told  me  I  was. 
I  don't  want  to  fall  back  on  subterfuges  —  sacrifice 
others.  I  want  to  do  what  I  do  proudly  —  I  want  to 
believe  in  myself." 

"  Yes  —  I  see,"  he  said  gravely. 

"  And  then,  it  is  only  fair  to  him." 

"And  — after?" 

"  I  shall  go  to  a  hotel  in  New  York  —  to  Europe 
perhaps.  Andrew  will  sue  at  once  for  a  divorce  rn  the 
grounds  of  desertion.  I  think  it  would  be  better  for 
you  not  to  join  me  until  then.  As  long  as  I  bear  his 
name  —  I  shan't  do  anything  against  that.  You  would 
not  want  me  to  either !  " 

"You  have  thought  this  all  over,  Amy?"  he  said 
again. 

"  All !    Again  and  again !  " 

"  When  —  "  He  hesitated,  "  when  do  you  want  to 
go  away?  " 

"  Andrew  will  arrive  Friday  —  the  next  night." 

He  was  surprised  at  the  imminence  of  the  thing,  at 
every  word  she  had  said,  at  the  complete  assumption 
of  his  acceptance  of  what  she  had  decided.  Down 
the  porch  a  door  opened  and  Kitty's  voice  called, 

"  What  are  you  two  whispering  about  down  there  ? 
Come  in,  you  're  necessary !  " 

"  And  Monte,"  she  said,  quickly,  her  voice  growing 
gentle,  "  when  I  do,  then  you  will  believe  that  I  am 
capable  of  love  —  won't  you  ?  " 


332  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

He  nodded,  touching  her  hand  lightly.  He  would 
have  liked  to  have  said  a  hundred  things  that  were  in 
his  perturbed  mind  —  but  others  were  bearing  down 
on  them.  He  felt  as  though  he  were  struggling  hope 
lessly  against  something  that  could  not  be  avoided. 
Every  word  he  had  said  had  been  enforced  on  him  — 
every  action  dictated  by  his  code  of  honor,  which  was 
the  Samurai  creed  of  his  kind. 


XI 

THE  car,  as  though  pursued  by  the  consciousness  of 
some  guilty  deed,  turned  and  twisted  through  tor 
tuous  roads,  throwing  its  searching  glare  into  the  sleep 
ing  secrets  of  the  woods.  Ten  minutes,  fifteen  min 
utes  had  elapsed,  and  still  they  sat  silently  side  by  side, 
each  immersed  in  his  own  thoughts.  He  had  not  bent 
toward  her.  He  had  not  put  forth  his  hand  to  take 
hers.  The  silence  of  the  night,  the  guilty  flight  away, 
oppressed  him  —  and  ahead  was  the  waking  reality  of 
the  morrow.  His  mind  had  been  filled  with  the  sweep 
ing  imminence  of  the  great  events  that  were  impending 
in  the  world.  France,  the  country  he  loved  with  a 
Crusader's  adoration,  was  on  the  brink  of  a  shattering 
war.  Men  whom  he  had  known  and  played  at  life  with 
were  turning  with  hallowed  eyes  toward  the  great  sac 
rifice,  the  final  deed  of  atonement  that  washes  away  all 
selfishness  and  the  sins  of  the  flesh.  All  these  last  days 
of  July  and  the  opening  of  the  bleeding  month  of 
August  he  had  had  before  his  eyes  the  spectacle  of  the 
titled  idlers,  the  play-boys  of  fortune,  leaving  their 
revelries;  the  simple,  faith-borne  peasants  waiting  in 
the  fields ;  the  crowded  workmen  scanning  the  bulletin 
board ;  the  women  listening  in  the  night.  The  leaping 
moment  of  heroic  regeneration  was  sounding  on  the 
bugle's  call,  and  he,  soldier  of  fortune,  was  powerless 
to  respond,  entangled  in  the  trivialities  of  an  infatua 
tion  that  had  mastered  him.  It  had  always  been  so. 


334  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  It 's  curious,"  he  thought  bitterly,  "  that  with  all 
people  say  against  me,  it  is  I  who  have  always  yielded 
with  women.  It  is  I  who  have  followed  where  they 
would  go !  " 

The  woman  he  loved  was  there  at  his  side,  and  yet 
something  inexorable  intervened  between  them.  Per 
haps  it  was  the  man's  further  vision  that  could  not  dwell 
on  the  present  before  the  specter  of  coming  conse 
quences.  He  saw  the  headlines  in  the  papers,  the  flaunt 
ing  colored  stories,  the  apposition  of  photographs,  the 
whole  shrieking  clamor  of  a  prying  public's  satisfac 
tion  in  a  new  scandal  among  those  it  meanly  envied  and 
pitilessly  pulled  down.  Did  she  realize  what  was 
coming? 

"  We  are  wounding  each  other  —  irreparably,"  he 
thought,  "  and  yet  how  can  I  tell  her?  " 

For  she  had  done  the  thing  he  had  believed  her  in 
capable  of  doing.  It  was  mad,  it  was  theatric  —  but 
it  was  from  her  heart.  She  was  doing  it  as  a  spiritual 
rebellion,  and  to  show  him  that  in  her  awakened  love 
she  was  willing  to  sacrifice  all  for  him.  How  could  he 
refuse  that?  Suddenly  he  bent  over  and  said  reso 
lutely  : 

"  Amy  dear  —  it  is  a  fearfully  serious  moment.  You 
are  sure,  there  is  no  doubt  —  you  want  to  do  this? 
Just  this  way?" 

She  looked  at  him  in  amazement.  Had  he  read  her 
thoughts  ?  Yet  she  answered : 

"  Yes,  yes  —  I  do  —  I'm  sure !  " 

Ever  since  they  had  fled  from  the  house  she  had  had 
but  one  figure  before  her  eyes  —  Andrew.  When 
would  he  return?  Would  he  read  her  letter  when  it 
was  handed  to  him  by  Gregory  at  the  door,  mastering 
his  emotion  before  the'  servant  as  only  he  knew  how  ? 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  335 

Or  would  he  go  with  it  to  his  room  ?  And  then  ?  What 
would  be  the  emotion  in  his  eyes,  there  alone  where  no 
one  would  be  present  to  see?  His  shadow  was  there 
in  the  car,  intruding  and  inexorable;  his  voice  kept 
crying  in  her  ears. 

She  felt  like  seizing  the  trumpet  and  crying: 

"  Faster,  faster !    Get  it  done  with !  " 

And  then  this  question  from  Monte ! 

What  must  he  think  of  her  silence  ?  Perhaps  he  too 
was  thinking  of  the  one  left  behind,  of  Andrew.  Per 
haps  it  was  a  touch  of  remorse  that  held  him  so  silent. 

"  Listen,  Monte,"  she  said  suddenly.  "  There  are 
some  things  now  I  must  tell  you.  It  is  your  right  to 
know.  You  may  suspect,  but  I  want  you  to  know,  so 
—  so  you  won't  feel  any  responsibility." 

She  told  him  of  Andrew  and  Irma  Dellabarre,  of  the 
new  infatuation  which  had  come  to  her  husband,  of  his 
own  desire  that  she  should  take  this  step  to  set  him  free. 

"  I  tell  you  all  this,"  she  repeated  insistently,  "  so 
that  you  won't  feel  that  you  or  I  —  that  we  have  any 
thing  to  reproach  ourselves  with." 

"  I  am  glad  that  it  is  so,"  he  said  gravely.  It  was 
not  quite  what  she  had  led  him  to  believe  of  their  rela 
tions,  yet  it  was  a  justification. 

"  I  don't  think  Irma  will  ever  do  what  you  have 
done,"  he  said  slowly,  but  his  mind  was  on  other  things. 

"  Nor  I,"  she  said  impulsively.  "  And  for  Andrew's 
sake,  I  hope  not !  "  She  explained,  "  I  want  to  be  gen 
erous  toward  him.  It  was  not  his  fault.  I  don't  blame 
him — I  was  not  the  wife  for  him  —  it  was  a  great 
mistake.  Yet  I  —  yet  there  is  nothing  petty  about  him. 
He  has  been  very  fine  in  his  attitude  toward  me  —  that 
is  why  I  want  to  see  him  really  happy.  You  under 
stand,  don't  you  ?  " 


336  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

:<  Yes,  of  course,"  he  said  somberly.  This  mention 
of  the  other  jarred  on  him.  She  really  might  have 
spared  him  such  praise  at  such  a  moment. 

What  sort  of  a  wife  would  she  be  to  him  ? 

A  sudden  report,  and  the  car  grounded  hastily  to  a 
stop. 

"  What 's  that?  "  she  cried,  jumping. 

"Only  a  blow-out." 

He  descended  and  went  to  consult  with  the  chauffeur. 
It  would  be  necessary  to  change  a  rear  tire. 

The  accident  seemed  to  her  something  ominous. 
She  got  out  and  walked  in  the  shadow,  while  the  two 
men  busied  themselves  with  the  tires.  Would  it  never 
end  ?  Surely  they  would  miss  the  train  now !  A  whirr 
of  motors,  and  she  shrank  back  into  the  protection  of 
the  wood. 

"  If  it  were  Andrew ! "  she  thought,  with  a  leap  of 
her  pulse. 

The  searchlights  glared,  swept  the  ground  and 
passed. 

"  How  foolish !  What  possessed  me  to  imagine 
that?"  she  thought 

"  All  ready  now,"  said  Monte  Bracken. 

She  sprang  into  the  car  before  he  could  offer  his 
hand,  and  shrank  into  a  corner. 

"Oh,  do  hurry!" 

"  Make  time,"  he  said,  and  got  in. 

"  I  'm  horrid,  Monte,  but  don't  mind  me  —  it  is  up 
setting  !  " 

"  I  understand,  dear,"  he  said  in  his  quiet  voice. 

They  were  on  straight  roads  now,  and  the  speed  at 
which  they  fled  shook  the  car  so  that  conversation  was 
impossible.  She  was  grateful  for  this,  leaning  for 
ward,  her  chin  in  her  hands,  staring  out  of  the  win- 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  337 

dow.  Above,  in  the  moonlit  skies,  great  banks  of 
clouds  were  scurrying. 

"  It  does  n't  look  real,"  she  thought.  "  Just  like  the 
way  they  put  it  on  in  the  theater." 

The  next  moment  they  had  made  Burnham  Village 
and  swung  up  to  the  station.  She  sprang  out,  leaving 
Monte  to  bring  up  the  bags,  and  ran  up  the  steps.  The 
platform  was  deserted.  They  had  missed  their  train 
by  three  minutes !  Monte  came  up,  valises  in  hand. 

"  It 's  too  provoking !  "  she  said  tearfully.  "  We  Ve 
lost  it!" 

"  Never  mind,  there  '11  be  another  soon.  I  '11  go  and 
make  sure.  I  '11  keep  the  car,  we  can  always  run  in  - 

"  No,  no  —  I  don't  want  to  go  in  the  car !  "  she  said 
hastily.  To  go  in  the  intimacy  of  the  car  seemed  to 
her  something  indelicate,  something  that  could  n't  be 
done.  He  ought  to  have  understood  that ! 

She  went  up  the  platform  toward  the  red,  sinister 
lights.  The  night  was  hot  and  flat.  Each  minute  that 
kept  her  from  her  purpose  undermined  her  resolution. 
Would  she  be  able  to  go  through  it?  Even  now  she 
was  seeking  the  obscurity  to  avoid  a  chance  encounter, 
and  in  a  moment  they  would  have  to  enter  the  crowded, 
lighted  train  together ! 

Up  the  platform  came  a  shuffling  step  —  a  train 
hand,  with  smudged  lantern  at  his  feet,  smelling  of 
rank  tobacco.  What  was  Monte  doing  all  this  time? 
Everything  he  did  irritated  her,  even  to  the  languid 
way  in  which  he  returned,  when  he  must  have  known 
her  impatience. 

"Well?" 

"  Ten  minutes,  that 's  all." 

She  drew  a  breath  of  relief.  But  ten  minutes  passed, 
and  no  answering  shock  of  steel. 


338  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  I  thought  you  said  ten  minutes  ?  "  she  said  fret 
fully. 

"  It  must  be  late." 

"  Go  and  see  —  and  please  don't  take  forever !  " 

First  the  accident  to  the  tire,  then  the  missing  of  the 
train,  and  now  the  third  delay!  It  was  intolerable. 
All  at  once,  in  the  distance,  a  roar,  a  white  belch  of 
steam  and  along  the  rails  long  slivers  of  light  ran 
down. 

She  started  hastily  back  to  the  bags  as  the  train  came 
rocking  in.  Where  was  Monte  ?  Why  did  n't  he 
come  ?  What  could  he  be  doing  ? 

The  passengers  were  streaming  about  her  when  he 
came  up. 

"  It 's  not  this  one ;  this  is  a  train  from  New  York," 
he  explained  hastily. 

"Oh!" 

She  turned,  took  two  steps,  and  suddenly,  without 
warning,  came  face  to  face  with  Claire  Bracken! 


XII 

RECOGNITION  was  so  swift  that  she  had  no  time 
to  protect  herself.  She  put  her  head  down  has 
tily —  the  one  betraying  movement  she  should  not 
have  made  —  and  fled  up  the  platform.  Mrs.  Bracken 
stood  puzzled,  looking  after  her.  The  next  moment 
she  saw  Monte. 

"  Why,  what  are  you  doing  here?  "  she  said,  shaking 
hands. 

"  Going  up  to  New  York,"  he  said  hastily. 

"  But  was  n't  that  Mrs.  Forrester?  "  she  said,  glanc 
ing  up  the  platform  at  the  little  figure  seeking  the 
obscurity. 

"  That?    No  indeed !  "  he  said  readily. 

"  Are  you  alone,  Monte?  "  she  said  abruptly. 

"  Absolutely  —  let  me  take  your  things." 

"  John  will  attend  to  them,"  she  said,  surrendering 
her  bag  to  the  footman  who  came  up. 

They  stood  a  moment,  awkwardly. 

"  Are  you  going  to  New  York  ? "  she  repeated 
slowly. 

"  Why,  yes !  Is  there  anything  surprising  in  that  ?  " 
he  said  with  a  forced  laugh. 

The  light  was  on  his  face,  and  her  glance  hung  on 
his  eyes.  He  did  not  dare  to  turn  away. 

She  hesitated,  took  a  step,  and  he  began  to  breathe 
freer.  All  at  once  she  turned  and  took  his  arm. 

"  I  want  to  talk  to  you,"  she  said  quietly.  "  Walk 
up  the  platform  with  me." 


340  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

He  stood  without  moving. 

"  I  had  rather  not." 

"Why?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"  What  I  have  to  say  is  to  be  said  to  Mrs.  Forrester 
also,"  she  said  with  decision.  "  Come." 

Amy  was  at  the  foot  of  a  great  telegraph  pole  as 
they  came  up.  She  did  not  turn  at  the  sound  of  their 
steps  but  put  her  head  down  and  swayed  against  the 
fence.  So  abject  a  picture  of  mortification  and  shame 
was  she  that  Mrs.  Bracken  in  pity  hesitated  a  moment. 
Then  she  went  to  her  and  threw  her  arm  about  her 
shoulder. 

"  It  is  I,  Amy." 

"  Oh,  go  away,  please  go  away ! "  she  said  des 
perately. 

"  I  think  God  has  directed  me  to  you,"  said  Mrs. 
Bracken  solemnly. 

Amy  Forrester  raised  her  head  and  turned  slowly, 
indignantly. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean  ? "  she  cried,  starting 
back. 

"  It  is  quite  evident  what  you  are  doing." 

"  You  are  making  a  mistake,"  she  cried,  cut  to  the 
quick.  "  I  have  left  my  husband's  house  with  his 
knowledge  and  consent." 

"  Then  you  should  do  it  alone,"  said  Claire  Bracken, 
more  gently,  "  and  not  in.  this  mad  public  way." 

"  Mrs.  Bracken,  you  have  no  right  to  judge  me  —  " 

"  The  way  you  resented  what  you  thought  I  might 
have  thought,  ought  to  open  your  eyes,"  she  answered, 
without  yielding.  "  And  if  you  care  nothing  for  your 
own  reputation  —  "  She  hesitated.  "  This  means, 
of  course,  that  you  are  going  to  marry  Monte?  " 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  341 

They  stood  faintly  in  the  obscurity,  straining  their 
eyes  —  like  three  white  shadows. 

"  That  is,  of  course,  what  it  means,"  she  said. 

"  Then,  Amy  dear,  if  you  are  taking  his  name  you 
should  protect  it  as  though  it  were  your  own." 

"  Oh,  don't  —  don't  try  to  stop  me  now !  "  The 
cry  was  wrung  from  her.  All  the  long  days  of  de 
liberation  and  soul-anguish  were  useless  now  —  if  the 
thing  had  to  be  again  delayed,  if  she  must  pass  through 
another  day  of  doubt. 

Claire  took  her  hand  in  hers,  bending  toward  her 
like  a  mother  to  seek  the  truth  in  the  face  of  a  way 
ward  child. 

"  You  child,  do  you  know  what  you  are  doing  — 
are  you  capable  of  knowing?    You  want  to  be  free  - 
but  do  you  want  to  face  all  the  ugly  stories  that  will 
spring  up  now?  " 

"  Oh,  you  don't  understand !  I  must  do  one  thing 
or  the  other  —  and  do  it  now !  I  can't  fight  it  all  out 
all  over  again.  I  want  to  be  honest  with  myself  and 
—  and  with  him!  "  she  cried  bitterly. 

"  With  Monte  ?  Then  don't  you  see  that  you  are 
sacrificing  him  ?  "  said  Claire  firmly,  as  Monte  began 
to  protest. 

Amy  had  not  meant  that.  It  struck  her  as  tragically 
grotesque  that  Monte  should  have  taken  it  to  himself. 
She  had  been  thinking  of  her  husband,  the  shadow 
that  wras  at  her  side,  blending  with  her  shadow. 

"  I  say,  Claire,  you  Ve  no  right  to  say  that !  " 

"  You  know  I  'm  telling  the  truth,  whether  you  '11 
admit  it  or  not  to  her,"  she  swept  on.  "  You  are  a 
gentleman  born  and  bred,  whatever  you  may  have 
done,  and  you  don't  wish  your  name  and  the  name  of 
your  wife  dragged  into  every  filthy  sheet!  " 


342  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Mrs.  Bracken !    Mrs.  Bracken !  " 

"  Well,  do  you  ?  "  said  Claire,  facing  Monte. 

Down  the  track  came  the  warning  whistle  of  the 
arriving  train. 

The  papers  —  the  scandal  written  large  —  the  ugly 
innuendoes !  She  had  never  thought  of  that,  never  once 
had  it  occurred  to  her  that  beyond  to-night  was  to 
morrow,  with  its  distortion  of  big  things  and  small. 

"  But  I  can't  go  back !  "  she  said  in  a  last  weak  pro 
test.  "  If  I  don't  go  now  —  I  '11  never  go,"  she  said 
solemnly,  looking  at  the  man. 

"  You  need  n't  return  to  your  husband.  Leave  that 
to  me,"  said  Claire  decisively.  "  To-night  you  stay  at 
my  house.  To-morrow  we  '11  see.  Monte,  you  must 
go  up  to  New  York  —  and  take  care  to  be  seen." 

The  train  was  now  in  sight.  With  a  sudden  obsti 
nate  squaring  of  his  shoulders  he  turned  to  Amy. 

"  Amy,  this  is  between  you  and  me.  What  do  you 
say?" 

They  waited  for  her  decision,  there  in  the  faint 
obscurity  of  the  platform,  in  the  precious  dwindling 
seconds. 

"  Oh,  it 's  easy  for  you  to  do  the  right  thing,"  she 
cried,  with  a  sudden  revolt  against  the  calm  of  the 
other  woman.  "  Life  has  been  easy  for  you  —  you 
don't  know  what  it  is  to  feel  the  way  I  do  —  " 

Monte  Bracken  must  have  felt  what  was  coming, 
for  he  stepped  forward  hastily,  as  though  to  interpose 
between  the  two  women.  Claire  Bracken  stood  quietly 
looking  down,  then  she  raised  her  head  and  said 
gravely : 

"  It 's  natural  you  should  say  that.  But  you  are 
wrong.  I  had  to  face  once  the  same  situation  —  al- 
mOst  —  that  you  are  facing  now,  and  I  gave  up  what 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  343 

I  wanted,  for  the  sake  of  others.  I  will  tell  you  all 
that,  for  it  may  help  you.  I  can  do  no  otherwise,  for 
I  have  the  right  —  the  one  person  in  the  world  who 
has  the  right  —  to  demand  that  that  name  shan't  be 
sullied  now."  She  waited  a  moment  and  then  said : 
"  You  will  go  alone  to  New  York,  Monte.  It  is  the 
first  thing  I  have  asked  of  you.'* 

He  stood,  his  glance  held  by  her  glance  and  the 
clear  look  on  her  face.  A  moment  of  judgment,  of 
reconstruction,  and  the  clear,  enduring  memory  won. 
It  was  all  over  in  a  moment.  He  turned  without  a 
word  and  went  up  toward  the  station.  The  two 
women  stood  together  watching  until  he  had  swung 
up  the  steps  and  into  the  train.  They  were  still  watch 
ing  as  the  cars  went  past.  He  was  not  even  on  the 
platform.  Then  Mrs.  Bracken  felt  an  arm  slip  about 
her,  and  the  next  moment  Amy  Forrester  was  on  her 
shoulder,  weeping  out  her  heart. 

She  made  no  resistance  when  a  little  later  Claire 
drew  her  down  the  platform  and  led  her  to  the  waiting 
car,  but  over  on  the  highroad  she  sat  up  with  a  sudden 
fright. 

:<  You  are  not  taking  me  back  ?  " 

"  No,  no.  Not  to-night  and  not  to-morrow  —  not 
until  you  are  ready  to  go." 

"  But  it 's  over  —  all  over !  " 

"  Then  all  the  more  reason  to  do  nothing  on  im 
pulse.  Whatever  is  to  be  done  must  be  done  with 
dignity,  with  regard  for  all  concerned." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  say,"  she  said  wearily.  "  I 
thought  —  oh,  I  wanted  to  do  the  right  thing,  the 
brave  thing!  " 

Just  before  they  came  to  the  Bracken  house,  Claire 
laid  her  hand  on  her  friend's. 


344  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  One  thing  —  you  may  have  misunderstood  some 
thing  I  said.  After  I  was  engaged  to  Allan  —  I  met 
Monte,  and  —  well,  it  was  a  question  —  if  I  had 
broken  that  engagement  Allan  could  not  have  stood 
up  alone.  We  knew  it  —  both  of  us.  That  was  the 
decision  to  make." 

"  Hush !  I  feel  like  a  criminal !  "  she  said,  drawing 
back  —  and  through  her  tortured  imagination  she  re 
membered  only  the  look  on  Monte's  face  when  he  had 
answered  Claire's  request  —  immediately,  reverently, 
without  thought  of  any  one  else.  What  was  she,  to 
replace  such  an  ideal  in  Monte  Bracken's  memory ! 

The  next  day  the  world  was  torn  asunder  with  the 
catastrophe  of  a  colossal  war.  The  first  pages  were 
filled  with  headlines  that  cried  out  the  tramp  of  mus 
tering  armies;  Austria  attacking,  Germany  declaring 
war,  France  hastily  mobilizing,  England  deliberating, 
Russia  moving  ponderously.  And  on  the  fourth  page, 
crowded  out  by  the  tempest  in  the  air,  a  bare  half- 
column  of  what  a  week  before  would  have  been  fea 
tured  on  the  front  page : 

"DRAMA    IN    SOCIETY 
ACCIDENT   OR    MURDER 

At  Chilton  late  last  night  the  bodies  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rudolph  Dellabarre  were  recovered  from 
the  bay." 


XIII 

i"T  was  on  the  second  morning  after  Amy's  leaving'. 
•*•  Andrew  Forrester  was  in  the  library  alone,  sunk  in 
a  great  chair,  hands  clasped  before  him,  staring  at  a 
mass  of  papers  on  the  table,  which  he  had  not  touched. 
At  any  moment  Amy  would  return  to  take  up  the  com 
edy  of  respectability  which  they  would  play  a  little 
longer  before  the  world.  So  much  had  happened  in  these 
last  forty-eight  hours,  so  much  had  crowded  in  against 
his  waking  brain,  that  he  could  not  realize  clearly  the 
full  measure  of  any  one  grief.  All  was  in  a  daze, 
through  which  he  tried  weakly,  patiently,  and  wearily 
to  see  clear.  Amy  had  gone  away,  publicly,  with  Monte 
Bracken  —  he  had  her  letter  there  in  his  pocket  —  read 
and  re-read  —  the  servants  knew,  every  one  must  know 
that.  But  now  she  was  coming  back.  She  had  n't 
eloped.  She  had  been  with  Claire  all  the  time,  it 
seemed.  What  did  it  mean,  and  why  was  she  coming 
back  ?  Respectability,  the  great  god  Respectability,  the 
god  of  all  her  kind,  the  god  of  Irma  Dellabarre. 

He  passed  his  hand  nervously  across  his  eyes,  to  shut 
out  a  picture  that  intruded  upon  them  —  a  pier  in  the 
mist  of  the  night,  a  boat  with  the  water  widening,  and 
a  woman's  voice  in  fear.  He  must  not  think  of  that, 
or  he  would  not  be  able  to  hold  down  his  nerves.  For 
if  he  continued  to  think,  he  must  answer  that  fearful, 
obsessing  question  which  had  been  beating  against  his 
brain  ever  since  that  fatal  night. 


346  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"Was  it  an  accident?" 

"  But  I  —  I  am  not  responsible !  "  he  took  up 
wearily.  "  There  is  no  reason  why  I  should  torture 
myself !" 

He  had  not  affected  Irma  Dellabarre's  life  the  sway 
ing  of  a  hair.  She  had  loved  him  no  more  than  she 
loved  the  man  whom  at  the  moment  she  wished  to  love 
her.  He  had  been  the  dupe,  the  fool  who  had  plunged 
from  one  chasm  into  another.  Yet  the  retribution  to 
her  had  been  swift  and  horrible.  He  could  not  think 
of  Irma  as  they  had  brought  her  in,  as  he  had  been 
forced  to  look  upon  her.  He  had  loved  her  and  then 
he  had  despised  her,  and  yet  her  death  had  seared  into 
his  soul. 

"  Was  it  an  accident,  or  was  it  through  mistaken  jeal 
ousy  of  him  that  Rudolph  Dellabarre  had  done  this 
thing?" 

There  was  no  refuge  from  pain  but  in  other  trials. 
For  there  was  more.  The  unbelievable  had  happened. 
The  world  had  gone  mad.  The  Stock  Exchange  had 
gone  mad,  and  in  three  hours'  panic  everything  he  had 
had  been  swept  away.  All  was  to  begin  over.  Of  all 
the  phantoms  which  oppressed  him,  this  was  the  least. 
There  was  an  acute  satisfaction  in  the  completeness  of 
his  isolation,  in  the  knowledge  that  nothing  could  be 
added  to  the  cup  of  bitterness  and  failure  which  he  had 
filled  with  his  own  hands. 

Outside  he  heard  the  motor.  In  a  moment  Amy 
would  be  here.  Ordinarily  he  would  have  shrunk  from 
the  unnecessary  pain  of  the  meeting.  Now  he  waited 
it  indifferently  —  the  measure  had  been  exceeded  — 
he  could  feel  nothing  more. 

She  came  in  and  shut  the  door  behind  her,  before  he 
realized  her  presence.  Then  he  got  up  slowly  and  said, 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  347 

"  I  beg  pardon  —  I  did  n't  hear  you." 

The  sound  of  his  voice  shocked  her.  She  came  for 
ward,  peering  up  into  his  face,  so  close  that  she  could 
have  put  out  her  hand  and  touched  him.  He  straight 
ened  up  with  a  righting  return  of  pride  that  could  not 
quite  replace  the  settled  sadness  of  his  face. 

She  was  shocked  by  his  appearance.  The  room 
shocked  her,  too  —  the  chairs  out  of  place,  the  litter  of 
envelopes  spilling  on  the  floor,  the  yellow  telegrams 
trailing  to  the  fireplace.  It  was  so  shockingly  unlike 
the  Andrew  she  had  known.  She  found  it  harder  to 
explain  to  him  than  she  had  thought.  And  yet  she  must 
—  to  have  it  over  and  to  be  away.  She  stood  fighting 
down  a  desire  for  tears,  plucking  at  her  gloves. 

"  I  am  sorry  I  went  away  as  I  did,"  she  said  hur 
riedly,  in  a  low  tone.  "  I  thought  it  was  the  right 
thing  to  do;  I  didn't  realize  what  would  have  been 
said." 

"  Glad  you  came  back,"  he  said,  nodding.  "  It 
would  have  been  a  mistake.  For  I  want  you  to  get  the 
divorce  —  " 

«  No  —  "  she  broke  in. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "you  have  been  my  wife  —  you 
have  borne  my  name.  Some  things  we  can't  forget. 
I  want  always  to  protect  you.  There  must  n't  be  the 
slightest  imputation  against  you.  I  insist  on  that.  I 
ask  it." 

He  had  begun  firmly,  he  ended  gently,  the  gentleness 
that  comes  with  an  overwhelming  sorrow ;  for  sorrow 
and  happiness,  in  their  fullest  realization,  are  alike 
cleansing  to  the  soul. 

"  Oh,  Andrew !  "  she  said,  and  turned  away  hastily. 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  you  came  back  in  time." 

"  I  did  n't  do  it,"  she  said  in  a  burst  of  frankness. 


348  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  It  was  all  an  accident.     Claire  Bracken  found  us. 
She  made  me  see !  " 

"  Then  I  am  deeply  grateful  to  Claire,"  he  said 
solemnly. 

She  turned,  and  without  warning  the  cry  burst  from 
her :  "  Andrew,  did  he  do  it  on  purpose  ?  " 

He  shrank  back,  and  the  hunted  look  flashed  into 
his  face. 

"Don't!" 

"  Oh,  I  did  n't  mean  to !  "  she  cried  instantly.  "  I 
could  n't  help  it  —  I  have  dreamed  —  " 

"  Don't,  Amy,  don't! "  he  cried.  He  pressed  his 
hands  against  his  temples  as  though  to  still  their  leap. 
Then  he  said  in  a  voice  that  fought  for  calm,  "  It  is 
more  than  I  can  bear.  It  is  horrible,  —  it  is  ghastly ! 
I  don't  know  —  I  shall  never  know !  All  I  know  is, 
there  was  no  reason  why  Rudolph  Dellabarre  should 
have  done  this  hideous  thing !  " 

"But  —  " 

"  Irma  Dellabarre  never  would  have  left  him  —  for 
me  or  any  other  man.  She  could  n't  —  it  was  n't  in 
her.  I  tell  you  this  to  clear  her  memory  in  your  eyes. 
I  did  not  realize  it  until  that  night." 

«  But  —  " 

"Until  I  knew  I  had  the  right,  I  had  never  asked 
anything  of  her.  That  night  I  realized  just  how  little 
it  all  was  to  her.  God !  I  cannot  reproach  her  — 
now!" 

His  voice  had  risen  in  his  excitement.  He  mastered 
himself,  went  to  the  mantelpiece  and  leaned  on  it,  look 
ing  down  into  the  grate. 

"But  you  loved  her?" 

"Then?    I  suppose  so." 

The  moment  of  silence  stretched  endlessly. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  349 

"  AndreAv,  I  shall  never  forget  your  chivalry  toward 
me,"  she  said,  clasping  her  hands.  "  I  thank  you  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  all  you  've  done  —  and  all 
you  're  going  to  do  for  me." 

He  stiffened  abruptly,  and  the  old  demon  of  pride 
seized  him.  He  would  not  be  pitied  by  her. 

"  That  is  nothing  —  nothing  more  than  a  gentleman 
must  do,"  he  said  quickly. 

"  No,  no ;  don't  say  that !  I  mean  it,"  she  cried  pas 
sionately.  "  There  was  so  much  that  you  could  have 
reproached  me  with  —  and  you  did  n't.  I  Ve  been 
such  a  failure!  " 

His  face  softened. 

"  Those  are  such  little  things  now,  Amy,  with  what 
we  have  both  got  to  face.  They  're  all  forgotten,  be 
lieve  me.  There  is  no  bitterness  in  me.  No,  it  is  n't 
fair  to  blame  all  on  yourself.  I  've  been  all  wrong 
too  —  all  wrong !  "  He  stopped,  again  caught  by  his 
pride,  and  added,  "  Just  one  thing  —  when  you  marry 
Monte  Bracken  —  pray  God  to  send  you  a  child  soon ! 
It  will  make  all  the  difference.  The  other  thing  is  n't 
marriage !  " 

She  stood  fingering  the  papers  on  the  table,  her  eyes 
blurred  with  tears.  He  saw  her  head  bent  over,  and  be 
lieving  she  was  reading  what  lay  there,  said  hastily : 

"  I  don't  know  whether  you  heard  —  I  have  been 
rather  badly  caught  in  the  stock  market." 

She  raised  her  head  indifferently  —  money  was  such 
a  trivial  thing  at  such  a  moment. 

"  I  'm  sorry,"  she  said  mechanically.  "  Not  too 
badly,  I  hope?" 

"  Well,  yes.  The  bottom,  you  know,  dropped  out 
of  everything,  and  everything  I  had  was  margined  — 
and,  well,  I  guess  it 's  a  pretty  clean  sweep." 


350  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Do  you  mean,  Andrew,  you  Ve  lost  everything?  " 
she  cried,  wrinkling  her  forehead. 

"  Yes,  that 's  about  it.  Fortunately,"  he  said  wearily, 
"  there  's  my  salary,  you  know.  There  's  always  that. 
Try  to  be  a  little  careful  these  next  few  months  until 
you  get  the  divorce." 

She  was  staring  at  him  incredulously.  Andrew 
bankrupt !  Andrew,  who  was  the  breath  of  success  it 
self  !  Andrew  bruised  and  overthrown ! 

"  Fortunately,  I  placed  a  certain  sum  of  money  in 
your  name  when  I  realized  that  we  would  separate,"  he 
began.  "  It 's  not  much,  but  —  " 

"  Oh,  don't  talk  of  that !  "  she  cried  indignantly. 
She  took  a  step  toward  him.  "  Does  this  mean  that 
you  —  that  you  have  nothing  left  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  bank,"  he  said,  shrinking,  "  but  there  's 
the  salary.  Half  of  it  '11  have  to  go  to  squaring  up 
debts,  but  I  can't  starve  on  the  rest,"  he  added,  with 
the  simulation  of  a  smile. 

"  But  if  —  if  you  did  n't  have  that  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  worrying  about  that,"  he  said,  frowning, 
though  the  very  suggestion  brought  such  a  panic  to  his 
nerves  that  he  bit  his  knuckles  without  noticing  what 
he  did.  "  Gunther  knows  my  worth." 

"  But  then  you  are  starting  over  —  all  over  again," 
she  said,  bewildered. 

He  nodded.  "  Other  men  have  done  it.  Don't 
worry  about  me.  I  '11  win  out,  too." 

The  news  overwhelmed  her.  Andrew  bankrupt! 
What  was  the  world  without  money?  What  could  he 
do,  all  alone,  without  money  ?  She  watched  him,  dazed, 
unable  to  readjust  her  conception  of  him  all  at  once, 
and  slowly  drew  off  her  cloak.  She  looked  around 
helplessly,  still  striving' to  seize  the  full  import. 


VIRTUOUS    WIVES  351 

"  I  think  I  '11  go  to  my  room,"  she  said,  her  brain  in 
a  turmoil,  "  I  '11  come  back  in  a  moment." 

She  went  out  and  up  to  her  bedroom  and  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor,  thinking.  What  had  happened 
changed  all.  Before  her  were  two  doors,  both  open, 
one  into  the  obscurity  of  the  hall  and  the  other  into 
the  riotous  glow  of  the  flowering  porch.  That  was 
her  choice,  and  she  was  free  to  make  it:  Monte,  and 
all  the  pleasant  things  of  life,  the  luxuries  she  had 
learned  to  crave,  ease,  brilliancy,  the  jewels  of  exist 
ence  spread  before  her;  and  below,  through  the  other 
door,  her  husband  and  struggle  —  Andrew,  stricken 
and  staggering,  under  all  his  assumption  of  bravado. 

And  at  that  moment,  below,  a  door  slammed  with 
the  suddenness  of  a  pistol  shot. 

She  shrieked,  and  in  a  blind,  unreasoning  panic, 
ran  down  the  stairs,  crying  his  name,  and  flung  into 
the  library.  He  stood  up,  staring  at  her  in  surprise. 
She  put  out  her  hands  as  though  to  touch  him,  and 
fell  back  against  the  wall,  her  hands  to  her  heart. 

"  Andrew !  Andrew  —  I  heard  —  I  thought  — 
Good  God,  I  thought  you  had  killed  yourself !  " 

He  had  started  hurriedly  to  her  side.  At  her  words 
he  drew  back. 

"  I  am  not  made  of  that  stuff,"  he  said,  cut  to  the 
quick.  "  I  should  think  you  would  have  known  that." 

She  looked  at  him  and  shook  her  head  sadly,  once, 
twice.  His  pride  could  no  longer  wound  her.  She 
had  seen,  beneath  the  mask,  the  raw  wound  in  his  soul. 
What  she  did  came  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment, 
born  in  the  revealing  horror  in  her  soul.  A  moment 
before  she  had  seen  him  stretched  before  her  on  the 
carpet,  dead  —  a  bleeding,  trickling  gash  across  the 
forehead  which  he  had  held  so  high. 


352  VIRTUOUS    WIVES 

"  Andrew,  listen !  "  she  cried  in  anguish,  as  though 
there  in  the  room  the  shadow  of  death  were  still  lurk 
ing.  "  Andrew,  listen  to  me  —  answer  me !  Oh,  don't 
be  hard  —  don't  be  bitter ;  answer  me  honestly." 

He  stood  staring  at  her,  no  longer  defiant,  but  so 
broken  that  in  his  need  he  put  out  his  arm,  seizing  the 
table  to  steady  himself. 

"Andrew,  is  it  too  late?" 

A  look  of  fear,  as  though  before  an  impossible  solu 
tion,  came  to  him.  He  put  his  hand  to  his  eyes  wearily. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  said  in  a  whisper. 

"  Oh,  Andrew,  if  you  '11  only  hold  out  your  hand  to 
me!  "  she  said  incoherently.  "  If  you  '11  only  do  that, 
I  '11  come,  I  '11  stand  by  you,  I  '11  make  you  forget  it 
all !  Can't  you  —  won't  you  just  hold  out  your  hand 
—  to  show  you  want  me  ?  " 

And  all  at  once  the  bars  broke' in  his  soul.  He  tried 
to  speak  —  nodded,  and  held  out  his  arms  to  her. 


New  Uniform  Edition 

LAWRENCEVILLE 
STORIES 

By  OWEN  JOHNSON 


THE  VARMINT 

THE  TENNESSEE  SHAD 

THE  PRODIGIOUS  HICKEY 

Illustrated.      $1.35  net,  each.      3  vols.  boxed,  $4.05  net. 

Faithful  transcripts  of  American  school  life,  full  of 
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understanding  of  boy  nature,  these  are  books  to  be 
enjoyed  by  all  ages,  from  nine  up  to  ninety. 

Of  "THE  VARMINT,"  George  Ade  says:  "The  only 
real  prep  school  story  ever  written." 

JACK  LONDON:  "An  amazingly  splendid,  delicious 
story." 

BOOTH  TARKINGTON :  "  It 's  a  wonder ...  and  the 
joyful  pathos  of  the  last  instalment  choked  me  all  up  — 
it  was  true,  and  general,  and  specifically  bully." 

THE  TENNESSEE  SHAD  chronicles!  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  enterprising  firm  of  Doc  Macnooder  and  the 
Tennessee  Shad,  daring  financial  adventurers. 

THE  PRODIGIOUS  HICKEY  has  been  called  the 
only  book  of  its  kind  since  "Tom  Brown  at  Rugby,"  and 
it  has  what  Tom  Brown  in  a  measure  lacked  —  humor. 
This  may  seem  effusive  to  you  now.  It  will  not  after  you 
have  come  to  know  the  Prodigious  Hickey  and  his  satelites 
—  Hungry  Smeed,  Doc  Macnooder,  Lovely  Mead,  the 
Gutter  Pup,  and  Dink  Stover. 

LITTLE,  BROWN  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

34  BEACON  STREET.  BOSTON 


The  Truth  About  France. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  FRANCE 


By  OWEN  JOHNSON 

Illustrated  from  drawings  and  photographs.     $1.50  net. 


A  vivid  and  intensely  dramatic  account  of  a  famous  novelist's 
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fire.  Included  in  the  volume  is  the  interview  with  General  Joffre 
which  created  a  sensation  when  it  was  published  in  Collier's 
Weekly. 

Inspired  and  written  with  a  fine  swing  and  vigour.  —  Bookman, 
New  York. 

Although  Mr.  Johnson's  is  one  of  many  books  on  the  war,  it 
is  one  with  a  difference.  It  is  a  disclosure  of  "The  Spirit  of 
France,"  and  it  could  not  be  better  named.  France  has  been 
sadly  misunderstood  in  the  past;  she  is  coming  through  the  war 
into  her  very  own. —  Boston  Transcript. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  done  an  exceptionally  good  piece  of  war 
reporting  in  his  earlier  chapters  and  in  the  initial  and  final  chap 
ters  has  estimated  successfully  the  unanimity  and  high  patriotism 
that  are  the  forces  behind  the  French  military  power.  —  Spring 
field  Union. 

A  vivid  picture  of  the  war  .  .  .  the  attractiveness  of  this 
book  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  pictures  which  are  by  Walter 
Hale.  —  Brooklyn  Eagle. 


LITTLE,  BROWN  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 
34  Beacon  St.,  Boston. 


14  DAY  USE 

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